Importance of Frailty Measurement in Oncological Surgery: A Review of Preoperative-Frailty Assessment Tools

Abstract

With the rising number of an aging population, the importance of frailty’s impact on perioperative outcomes is increasingly being recognized in the surgical community. Frailty is particularly prevalent in patients undergoing treatment for cancer. In this review article, we seek to summarize the relationship between frailty and oncological surgery and review the preoperative frailty assessment tools available for the practitioner. Due to its predictive value, frailty assessment should be applied within daily clinical practice for those patients undergoing oncological surgery. The choice of a frailty measurement tool seems to be both adaptable and circumstantial. Factors to consider when choosing a frailty measurement tool should include time constraint, patient population, clinical circumstance, resource availability, patient mobility, presence of a self-assessment option, and the statistical requirements/support available for each test. With improved recognition of the diagnosis of frailty, physicians can turn to early interventions aimed at limiting frailty-associated adverse outcomes.