Association Between Geriatric Assessment and Post-Chemotherapy Functional Status in Older Patients with Cancer.

Background: Maintaining functional status is among the most important patient-centered outcomes for older adults with cancer. This study investigated the association between comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and progressive disease or decline of IADL-independence 1 year after chemotherapy, overall survival (OS), and premature termination of chemotherapy. CGA-based functional status and quality of life (QOL) 1 year after chemotherapy are also described.

Severe sarcopenia might be associated with a decline of physical independence in older patients undergoing chemotherapeutic treatment.

Purpose: Assessing physical reserve in older cancer patients before treatment decision-making remains challenging. The maintenance of physical independence during therapy is sometimes just as important for these patients as oncological outcomes. Recently, sarcopenia has been recognized as a possible important prognostic factor for outcome in cancer patients.

Development and validation of a score to assess risk of adverse drug reactions among in-hospital patients 65 years or older: the GerontoNet ADR risk score.

Background: The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a method of identifying elderly patients who are at increased risk for an adverse drug reaction (ADR).

Methods: Data from the Gruppo Italiano di Farmacoepidemiologia nell'Anziano (Italian Group of Pharmacoepidemiology in the Elderly) were used to develop an ADR risk score. Variables associated with ADRs were identified by a stepwise logistic regression analysis and used to compute the ADR risk score.