Geripal-podcast

The comprehensive geriatric assessment is one of the cornerstones of geriatrics.  But does the geriatric assessment do anything?  Does it improve outcomes that patients, caregivers, and clinicians care about? Evidence has been mounting about the importance of the geriatric assessment for older adults with cancer, the subject of today’s podcast.  The geriatric assessment has been shown in two landmark studies (Lancet and JAMA Oncology) to reduce high grade toxicity, improve patient and caregiver satisfaction, and improve completion of advance directives (can listen to our prior podcast on this issue here).  Based on this surge in evidence, the American Society of Clinical Oncologists recently updated their guidelines for care of older adults to state that all older adults receiving systemic therapy (including chemo, immuno, targeted, hormonal therapy) should receive geriatric assessment guided care.  We talk about these new guidelines today with William Dale, a geriatrician at City of Hope and lead author of