Predictive value of the G8 screening tool for postoperative complications in older adults undergoing cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Distribution of Geriatric 8 screening tool scores in elderly and non-elderly patients with cancer

INTRODUCTION

Population aging and increased cancer incidence have made the treatment of cancer in older individuals an increasingly important issue. Geriatric 8 (G8) is a screening tool developed to identify patients who would benefit most from a comprehensive geriatric assessment (GA). Previous G8 studies have involved older patients, but the age-related significance and usefulness of G8 is unknown. In this study, G8 screening was administered to patients who were 30 years of age or over with cancer to examine a G8 score in each 10 years age group and its correlation with other GA tools.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted at Fukuoka University Hospital from January 2020 to March 2022 and enrolled 715 patients aged ≥ 30 years undergoing surgery for primary gastrointestinal cancer or malignant disease. The relationship between age, G8, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), activities of daily living (ADL), and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was investigated.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 69 years (34-98 years). Functional disability in ADLs was present in 43 patients (6%) and in IADLs in 72 patients (10.1%). The mean G8 score by age group was 13.7, 13.1, 13.3, 13.3, 12.4, 11.3, and 9.25 for ages 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90-100 years, respectively. For each of the ADL/IADL items, the group with functional disability had significantly lower G8 scores than the group without functional disability (p < 0.001). The relationship between the G8 score and CCI by age group showed that the G8 score decreased as the CCI score increased. Assessments divided into age groups of 65, 70, and 75 years showed significant differences between groups for most ADL/IADL items and G8 scores, even when divided by age 65.

DISCUSSION

G8 scores were lower in patients with ADL/IADL disabilities and decreased with age in both the presence and absence of disabilities. The G8 total score decreased significantly after the age of 70 years. Performing G8 in patients < 65 years of age does not decrease sensitivity; however, the functional decline is so slight that it appears reasonable to restrict G8 screening to patients ≥ 65 years of age.

The role of geriatric assessment in the care of older adults undergoing urologic cancer surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Older adults undergoing urologic cancer surgery have unique needs and require unique risk assessment and management. This review will discuss recent literature on brief screening tools to identify high risk older adults in the preoperative period and the role of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in identifying and addressing geriatric vulnerabilities for older adults undergoing urologic cancer surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Frailty screening tools such as the G8 can be used to identify patients who are at an increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes such as postoperative complications and prolonged length of stay. CGA can provide more detailed information about geriatric syndromes prior to urologic cancer surgery.

SUMMARY

Screening tools for geriatric vulnerabilities and CGA are valuable tools for the urologist in identifying high-risk older adults, counseling patients on perioperative risk and addressing vulnerabilities prior to surgery. Making health system-wide changes can allow this optimal practice to reach more older surgical patients.

Time toxicity among older patients with cancer treated with palliative systemic therapy

PURPOSE

The time toxicity of anticancer therapy, defined as days spent with healthcare contact during treatment, represents a critical but understudied outcome. This study aims to quantify time toxicity among older patients with cancer receiving palliative systemic treatment.

METHODS

All patients aged ≥ 65 years with metastatic cancer receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy at a single center in Mexico were selected from a prospective patient navigation cohort. Patients completed a baseline assessment, including the G8 screening and quality of life measures. Physical healthcare contact days within the first 6 months were extracted from medical records and divided by days alive during the same period. Beta regression models were used to identify predictors of time toxicity.

RESULTS

We identified 158 older patients (median age 71 years); 86% received cytotoxic chemotherapy. Seventy-three percent had an impaired G8 score and were considered vulnerable/frail. Six-month overall survival was 74%. Within the first 6 months, patients spent a mean of 21% (95% confidence interval (CI) 19-23%) of days with healthcare contact. Concurrent radiotherapy (odds ratio (OR) 1.55; 95%CI 1.21-1.97), cytotoxic chemotherapy versus targeted therapy (OR 1.64; 95%CI 1.13-2.37), and an impaired G8 (OR 1.27; 95%CI 1.01-1.60) were associated with increased time toxicity.

CONCLUSION

Older adults with metastatic cancer spend 1 in 5 days with healthcare contact during treatment, with a higher burden of time toxicity for patients receiving radiotherapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy and those with potential frailty. These findings underscore the importance of informing patients about their expected healthcare contact days within the context of a limited life expectancy.

The significance of G8 and other geriatric assessments in urologic cancer management: A comprehensive review

In urologic oncology, which often involves older patients, it is important to consider how to manage their care appropriately. Geriatric assessment (GA) is a method that can address the specific needs of older cancer patients. The GA encompasses various assessment domains, but these domains exhibit variations across the literature. Some of the common items include functional ability, nutrition, comorbidities, cognitive ability, psychosocial disorders, polypharmacy, social and financial support, falls/imbalance, and vision/hearing. Despite the diversity of domains, there is limited consensus on reliable measurement methods. This review discusses the role of GA in managing urologic cancer in unique scenarios, such as those necessitating temporary or permanent urinary catheters or stomas due to urinary diversion. A comprehensive GA is time and human-resource-intensive in real-world clinical practice. Hence, simpler tools such as the Geriatric-8 (G8), capable of identifying high-risk patients requiring a detailed GA, are also under investigation in various contexts. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review on the G8. Our findings indicate that patients with low G8 scores encounter difficulties with stoma self-care after urinary diversion and have higher risks of urinary tract infections and ileus after radical cystectomy. The utilization of G8 as a screening tool for urologic cancer patients may facilitate the delivery of appropriate and personalized treatment and care.

Geriatric Oncology: A 5-Year Strategic Plan

The increasing rate of the older adult population across the world over the next 20 years along with significant developments in the treatment of oncology will require a more granular understanding of the older adult population with cancer. The ASCO Geriatric Oncology Community of Practice (COP) herein provides an outline for the field along three fundamental pillars: education, research, and implementation, inspired by ASCO's 5-Year Strategic Plan. Fundamental to improving the understanding of geriatric oncology is research that intentionally includes older adults with clinically meaningful data supported by grants across all career stages. The increased knowledge base that is developed should be conveyed among health care providers through core competencies for trainees and continuing education for practicing oncologists. ASCO's infrastructure can serve as a resource for fellowship programs interested in acquiring geriatric oncology content and provide recommendations on developing training pathways for fellows interested in pursuing formalized training in geriatrics. Incorporating geriatric oncology into everyday practice is challenging as each clinical setting has unique operational workflows with barriers that limit implementation of valuable geriatric tools such as Geriatric Assessment. Partnerships among experts in quality improvement from the ASCO Geriatric Oncology COP, the Cancer and Aging Research Group, and ASCO's Quality Training Program can provide one such venue for implementation of geriatric oncology through a structured support mechanism. The field of geriatric oncology must continue to find innovative strategies using existing resources and partnerships to address the pressing needs of the older adult population with cancer to improve patient outcomes.