Prognostic evaluation in geriatric oncology: problems and perspectives.

The optimal management of older patients with malignant diseases may be prevented by two antithetic conditions: inadequate treatment and excessive treatment. A likely root of this problem appears to be paucity of prognostic information, which may hamper management-related decisions in the older person with cancer. The prognostic value of performance status and nutritional status may fade with aging, while the influence of mental, emotional and socioeconomic status on the outcome of neoplastic diseases may become more prominent. The Comprehensive Geriatric Evaluation (CGE), which encompasses emotional mental and social domains in addition to physical health and function, may prove a valuable clue for the selection of those older patients who are suitable candidates for antineoplastic treatment.