By ASCO Staff
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has tools to help cancer care providers assess and manage age-associated vulnerabilities in older patients undergoing systemic cancer treatment. These tools include a recently updated guideline and new videos on performing a geriatric assessment (GA) and using the results to inform patient care.
“Practical Assessment and Management of Vulnerabilities in Older Patients Receiving Systemic Cancer Therapy: ASCO Guideline Update” builds on the Society’s initial guidance from 2018. The update reiterates the overarching recommendation that GAs should be used to identify vulnerabilities that are not routinely captured in oncology assessments for all patients over 65 years old with cancer, but with added recommendations around using GAs to inform personalized care.
The update is based on recent studies showing significantly improved outcomes for older adults with cancer who receive systemic therapy with GA-guided management (GAM) included in their care plan. GAM includes using GA findings to inform cancer treatment decision-making and to address impairments through appropriate interventions, counseling and referrals.
In conjunction with the guideline update, ASCO published two videos to help its members implement GAM in their practices. “How to Do a Geriatric Assessment” describes how a GA can be conducted in 10 minutes and “What to Do with the Results of a Geriatric Assessment” describes how the results of a GA can be used to create a treatment plan.
ASCO’s Geriatric Oncology Resources page offers ASCO-developed and compiled resources, including downloadable versions of the Practical Geriatric Assessment and the Action Chart for Practical Geriatric Assessment, in addition to other clinician tools, research and resources for patients and caregivers.
Did you know that ASCO publishes dozens of new and updated clinician practice guidelines each year, and that more than 150 guidelines spanning a variety of specialty areas are available primarily through ASCO’s website and journals? The guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary panels of experts, including patient advocates, and address specific clinical situations (disease-oriented) or the use of approved medical products, procedures or tests (modality-oriented).
The Society’s clinical practice guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations and outline appropriate methods of treatment and care on:
More information is also available on the Society’s guidelines page or the updated ASCO Guidelines app for Apple or Android.
