Assessing Frailty in Gastrointestinal Cancer: Two Diseases in One?

This review examines the challenges of treating gastrointestinal cancer in the aging population, focusing on the importance of frailty assessment. Emphasized are the rise in gastrointestinal cancer incidence in older adults, advances in frailty assessments for patients with gastrointestinal cancer, the development of novel frailty markers, and a summary of recent trials.

Increasing evidence suggests that the use of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to identify frail older adults and individualize cancer care leads to lower toxicity and improved quality of life outcomes. However, the adoption of a full CGA prior to chemotherapy initiation in older cancer patients remains low. Recently, new frailty screening tools have emerged, including assessments designed to specifically predict chemotherapy-related adverse events. Additionally, frailty biomarkers have been developed, such as blood tests like IL-6 and performance tracking through physical activity monitors. The relevance of nutrition and muscle mass is discussed. Highlights from recent trials suggest the feasibility of successfully identifying patients most at risk of serious adverse events. There have been promising developments in identifying novel frailty markers and methods to screen for frailty in the older adult population. Further prospective trials that focus on and address the needs of the geriatric population for early identification of frailty in cancer care, facilitating a more tailored treatment approach. Practicing oncologists should select a frailty assessment to implement into their routine practice and adjust treatment accordingly.