Assessing the 'fit' older patient for chemotherapy.

Oncologists are called on daily to assess "fit" older persons for cancer therapy. An individual's level of physiological reserve becomes unmasked during cancer therapy when the need arises to rely on this reserve. An in-depth assessment is essential in quantifying the level of an older adult's fitness. Tools can assist with this evaluation, including chemotherapy toxicity calculators and web-based geriatric assessment scales. Integrating these tools into oncology practice will be well worth the time and effort for both the patient and the oncology care team.