Researchers have long known that frailty is associated with worse cancer outcomes. Half of older adults with cancer as well as some young patients with cancer have frailty, which is defined as a loss of biological reserves that makes people more vulnerable to physical stressors. Previous research has shown that frailty often is associated with increased risks of toxicity and death related to cancer treatment.
Clinicians need effective screening tools to determine which patients with cancer are at risk for frailty and poor outcomes. This information can help them to determine the best protocol for each patient.
Although several frailty screening tools exist, the Geriatric 8 (G8) geriatric screening tool is the only one that has been evaluated and undergone systematic reviews for its prognostic ability. The G8 assesses eight areas: age, food intake, mobility, weight loss, body mass index, number of prescription drug medications, neuropsychological condition, and self-reported health.
In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (doi:10.1093/jnci/djaf017), researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 58 studies that synthesizes and summarizes current evidence on the association between frailty assessment tools and cancer treatment outcomes in adults with cancer.
“I think the findings synthesize a lot of what we already know,” says Mina Sedrak, MD, an associate professor and director of the Cancer and Aging Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine of the University of California, Los Angeles. “Ultimately, these tools are just as important as the biomarkers we use to test for tumor biology in determining treatment.”
Screening tools such as the G8 can identify some of the subtle changes that cannot be seen with eye tests to identify patients who require more in-depth frailty assessment, he adds.
Researchers searched five databases from inception to January 2023 to identify 58 prognostic-factor studies for this meta-analysis. These studies reported on the associations between validated pre-treatment frailty assessments and outcomes in adults with solid-organ cancers who were undergoing treatment. Outcomes included survival, toxicity, treatment tolerance, functional decline/quality of life, and hospitalization.
The research occurred for a range of tumor sites and mainly in older patients and in advanced and/or palliative disease settings. Nine frailty assessment tools were evaluated. The meta-analysis showed the prognostic value of two screening tools: the G8 and the Vulnerable Elders Survey 13 (VES-13). The latter helps to identify seniors who are at greater risk of functional decline or death during the next 2 years. Its score is based on age, self-reported health, and physical and functional ability limitations. Both tools are simple and quick to administer.
Pooled estimates show that frailty is associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.68; 95% co
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