BACKGROUND: The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been developed to individually assess the health status of older patients. METHODS: This article reviews the findings regarding the impact of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) on treatment and outcomes in patients with cancer. RESULTS: Several geriatric variables have been linked with the prognosis of older cancer patients, thus challenging the role of ECOG performance status in this population. A CGA may detect multiple untreated or undertreated problems in cancer patients. Although results are preliminary, some studies suggest that CGA may influence cancer treatment decisions and have a prognostic impact on patients with this disease. CONCLUSIONS: More work is needed to simplify such assessments to make them more feasible and to determine when they should be used during a patient's clinical course.
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Martine Extermann (2003) studied this question.
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