Application of comprehensive geriatric assessment in oncology nursing: A literature review on optimizing treatment decisions and patient outcomes

Table 1 Comprehensive geriatric assessment evaluation dimension table

Evaluation dimension	Evaluation contents/indicators
Physical state	Physical fitness (e.g., gait speed, grip strength), nutritional status, chronic disease management, medication use
Psychology	Cognitive function, emotional state (depression, anxiety), psychological problem screening
Social support	Family support, community resources, economic status, ability for self-care
Functional status	ADL, IADL, physical function testing

ADL: Activities of daily living; IADL: Instrumental activities of daily living.

Table 2 Overview of common geriatric assessment tools: Key features, advantages, and limitations

Tool name	Key features	Advantages	Limitations
KPS	Assesses the patient’s ability to perform daily activities	Simple, widely used	Focuses only on physical function; lacks a multidimensional perspective
ECOG	Evaluates the physical status of cancer patients	Convenient for clinical use	Does not account for comorbidities or mental health
MMSE	A screening tool for cognitive function	Capable of identifying cognitive impairment	Focuses solely on cognition; does not address other health domains
GDS	A screening tool for depression	Specifically addresses mental health	Does not consider physical or social factors

KPS: Karnofsky performance status; ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; MMSE: Mini-Mental State Examination; GDS: Geriatric Depression Scale.

Table 3 Comparison table of comprehensive geriatric assessment and traditional assessment

Comparison dimensions	CGA	Traditional assessment
Assessment scope	Multidimensional assessment, including physical, psychological, social, and functional status	Primarily focuses on tumor size, staging, and patient age
Precision	Accurately assess patients’ functional status and identify high-risk patients	Pays less attention to individual patient differences
Personalized treatment	Develop personalized treatment plans based on assessment results	Typically employs standardized treatment protocols
Prognosis prediction	Predict patients’ treatment tolerance and long-term prognosis	Mainly relies on tumour markers, offering a limited prognosis prediction

CGA: Comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Table 4 Comparative studies on comprehensive geriatric assessment vs standard care in oncology nursing

Study	Country/region	Key findings	Cancer types studied	Outcomes measured
French OGS tool	France	Developed and validated a short decision-making algorithm-OGS with high sensitivity to identify frail patients requiring CGA, optimizing treatment decisions	Various cancers	Identification of frail patients, treatment decision-making[18]
CGA in older cancer patients	United States	Meta-analysis of 28 trials (4959 subjects) showed CGA effectively identifies patients benefiting from geriatric evaluation, reducing morbidity and improving physical and cognitive function	Various cancers	Morbidity reduction, physical and cognitive function improvement[23,59]
CGA in cancer care	Australia	Integrating CGA into oncology care improved treatment completion rates, reduced grade 3+ chemotherapy toxicity, and enhanced quality of life scores	Various cancers	Treatment completion rates, chemotherapy toxicity, quality of life scores[27]
Geriatrician-delivered CGA impact	United Kingdom	Demonstrated that geriatrician-led CGA is associated with better outcomes for older patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to standard care	Various cancers	Treatment tolerance, overall survival[63]
CGA predicting overall survival	Singapore	CGA predicted overall survival in patients aged ≥ 70 with solid tumors, aiding in personalized treatment plans	Solid tumors	Overall survival prediction[23]
CGA in primary care	Netherlands	CGA adapted for primary care did not reduce emergency visits but provided insights into patient needs, suggesting areas for care improvement	Various cancers	Emergency department visits, care planning[64]

CGA: Comprehensive geriatric assessment; OGS: Onco-geriatric screening tool.

Table 5 Prospects of combining comprehensive geriatric assessment with emerging technologies table

Emerging technologies	Potential applications	Advantages	Future outlook
AI	Analyze patient data to provide personalized diagnostic and treatment recommendations	Enhance assessment precision	Real-time decision support systems
Big data	Integrate patient data to identify relationships between health variables	Improve assessment efficiency	Creation of patient stratification models
Telemedicine	Real-time monitoring of patient health status	Expand the scope of assessment	Provision of continuous health monitoring

AI: Artificial intelligence.