ABSTRACT: Older individuals are at risk for adverse events in
all settings where cancer is treated. Common geriatric syndromes
can complicate cancer therapy, and thus, increase patient
morbidity and the costs of care. Furthermore, cancer treatment
can worsen geriatric syndromes. It is often difficult to
determine whether declining health is a result of cancer
treatment or the patient’s underlying disease. Baseline
assessment of multiple factors may facilitate detection of a
decline in the patient’s health status, which may be remediable.
Geriatric syndromes may substantially affect quality of life and
are also important in the prognosis and outcome of cancer
therapy. This article reviews the assessment of cognitive
syndromes (dementia and delirium), vision and hearing
impairment, gait and balance difficulties, malnutrition,
incontinence, depression, osteoporosis, sleep disorders,
environmental and social issues, and functional decline.
Although there are many geriatric domains and many focused
assessment tool