Evaluation of the Timed Up and Go test for screening vulnerability and frailty in older cancer patients

Introduction. The need for comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in older adults with cancer is increasing, which makes it necessary to have a screening instrument to identify those who would benefit from this evaluation. This study aimed to investigate diagnostic performance of the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) for identifying vulnerable or frail older adults with cancer who might benefit from CGA. Material and methods. This observational and retrospective study took place at the geriatric center of Almenara Hospital in Lima, Peru. We extracted CGA reports from electronic medical records of outpatients and inpatients aged 60 years and older with cancer, who were evaluated between November 2022 and July 2023. Patients were classified based on SIOG-2 (International Society of Geriatric Oncology) criteria as fit, vulnerable, or frail, based on scales including Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental ADL, Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale, and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics (CIRS-G). For the study, two groups were formed: fit patients and non-fit patients (vulnerable plus frail). We estimated sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of the TUG test. The accuracy of the TUG test was analyzed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results. Among the 283 included patients, 154 were men (54.4%) and 129 women (45.6%), and the mean age was 76.8 ± 15.8 years. The most common neoplasms were colorectal (19.4%), stomach (15.2%), prostate (9.9%), and bile duct cancers (8.1%). The percentage of fit and non-fit patients was 21.9% and 78.1%, respectively. When the TUG test was equal to or greater than 15.5 seconds, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and AUC were 68.5% (95% CI 61.9–74.5), 88.5% (77.8–95.3), 95.6% (91.1–98.2), and 84.8% (0.80–0.90), respectively. Conclusions. A TUG test result equal to or greater than 15.5 seconds demonstrated good screening properties for identifying older cancer patients who were vulnerable or frail and could benefit from CGA.