Impact of the geriatric assessment on clinical treatment decision in older Indian persons with cancer.

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e24015 Background: The geriatric assessment (GA) is a multidimensional evaluation of an older person. Identification of the non-oncologic vulnerabilities, estimation of life expectancy and chemotherapy risk prediction aid the clinicians in the therapeutic risk-benefit ratio analysis. Globally, GA leads to changes in oncologic decisions in 28% of patients. Methods: An observational study with a retrospective and prospective cohort of patients who underwent a GA in the geriatric oncology clinic at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee (IEC) and registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India-CTRI/2020/04/024675. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients enrolled in the prospective part of the study; the IEC granted a consent waiver for the retrospective portion of the study. Patients aged 60 years and older with a diagnosis of malignancy were evaluated in the geriatric oncology clinic. The results of the GA were entered in the electronic medical records (EMR). The systemic therapy plan prior to the GA and the actual therapy plan made were retrospectively captured from the EMR. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of patients in whom the systemic therapy plan was changed following the GA. Results: Between June 2018 and Feb 2021, 340 patients were evaluated in the geriatric oncology clinic for whom the pre-GA and post-GA systemic therapy plans were available. The median age was 70 years (range, 60-100); 264 (78%) were men. The common malignancies were lung cancer in 134 (39.4%) and gastrointestinal in 119 (35%). The intent of therapy was palliative in 190 (56%) patients. Following the GA, the systemic therapy plan was changed in 125 (36.8%) patients. The most common change was deintensification of therapy in 106 patients (31.2%), including dose reduction in 41 (12%), decrease in the number of chemotherapy medicines in 8 (2.4%), substitution of chemotherapy by targeted therapy (4, 1.2%)/oral hormonal therapy (4, 1.2%)/oral TKI (11, 3.2%)/immunotherapy (2, 0.6%) and withholding systemic therapy in 36 (10.6%) patients. Withholding systemic therapy consisted of a change from chemoradiotherapy to radical radiation alone in 17 (5%), withholding neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy in 5 (1.5%) and a change to best supportive care in 14 (4.1%). Conclusions: The results of the GA led to a change in the management plan in over one-third of older Indian patients with cancer. GA is an important tool in the oncologic decision-making process for older persons with cancer. Clinical trial information: CTRI/2020/04/024675.