Perspectives on functional status in older adults with cancer: An interprofessional report from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) nursing and allied health interest group and young SIOG.

Ginah Nightingale, Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, Kah Poh Loh, Martine Puts, Cindy Kenis, Annette Goldberg, Kristen R Haase, Jessica Krok-Schoen, Gábor Liposits, Schroder Sattar, Petra Stolz-Baskett, Mackenzi Pergolotti

Journal: Journal of geriatric oncology 2021;12(4):658-665

PMID: 33172805

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Abstract

Most adults with cancer are over 65 years of age, and this cohort is expected to grow exponentially. Older adults have an increased burden of comorbidities and risk of experiencing adverse events on anticancer treatments, including functional decline. Functional impairment is a predictor of increased risk of chemotherapy toxicity and shorter survival in this population. Healthcare professionals caring for older adults with cancer should be familiar with the concept of functional status and its implications because of the significant interplay between function, cancer, anticancer treatments, and patient-reported outcomes. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of functional status among older patients with cancer including predictors, screening, and assessment tools. We also discuss the impact of functional impairment on patient outcomes, and describe the role of individual members of an interprofessional team in addressing functional impairment in this population, including the use of a collaborative approach aiming to preserve function.

Address: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Jefferson College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].; Breast Unit, Department of Medicine, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2JP, United Kingdom; Breast Cancer Research Division, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom.; James P Wilmot Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.; Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada.; Department of General Medical Oncology and Geriatric Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.; Department of Nutrition, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.; School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.; School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.; Department of Oncology, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark.; College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.; Oncology Service, Nelson Hospital Nelson Marlborough Health, Nelson 7048, New Zealand.; ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation, Select Medical; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2020.10.018

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MeSH Terms: Aged, Functional Status, Geriatric Assessment, Geriatrics, Humans, Medical Oncology, Neoplasms, Public Opinion