Cumulative frailty impact on unplanned hospitalization in older patients with cancer and excellent Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance.

PURPOSE

Older adults with cancer have a higher risk of unplanned hospitalizations, necessitating tailored interventions to improve treatment outcomes. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) may overlook complex frailty deficits. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether frailty assessment enhances the prediction of unplanned hospitalizations in older adults with cancer with an excellent ECOG PS undergoing antitumor therapy.

METHODS

This prospective observational study included 432 patients with cancer aged ≥ 65 years with an ECOG PS score of 0. Frailty was assessed using a geriatric assessment tool comprising eight indicators. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of patients who experienced unplanned hospitalizations within 3 months of antitumor treatment initiation. The secondary objective was to determine the length of hospital stay (LOS) among individuals who experienced unplanned hospitalizations.

RESULTS

Of 432 patients, 62 (14.4%) experienced unplanned hospitalizations (median LOS: 15 days, range: 2-72 days). A linear association was observed between the number of frailty deficits and the risk of unplanned hospitalizations (without frailty deficits: 7.0%; with six frailty deficits: 66.7%; R = 0.919). The median LOS steadily increased (without frailty deficits: 8 days; with six frailty deficits: 34 days; R = 0.945). Frailty assessment exhibited predictive capacity (receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.67), with a two-deficit threshold indicating a higher risk of hospitalization (9.2% versus 21.5%, relative risk: 2.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.56-4.45, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Incorporating frailty assessment into clinical decision making provides valuable insights beyond ECOG PS and helps predict unplanned hospitalization risk in older adults with cancer.