[Geriatric assessment: principles and feasibility in oncology]

Geriatric assessment is a method aimed to describe elderly individual's health status. Effectiveness has been demonstrated in different domains. The ultimate outcome of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment is the development of a coordinated care plan in which geriatric interventions focus on the particular problems of each patient. In the oncology setting, the method may help to estimate 1) the real place of cancer among the whole set of patient's health problems, 2) patient's tolerance to cancer treatments, and 3) treatment benefit/risk balance. Primary care providers play a pivotal role along the process, in strong collaboration with geriatricians and oncologists. This new pattern of interdisciplinary collaboration is currently being evaluated in Pilot Units of Coordination in Geriatric Oncology.