Survey for geriatric assessment in practicing oncologists in India

Abstract

Introduction: Geriatric oncology (GO) is a medicine discipline that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and management of older patients with cancer. Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the knowledge and awareness regarding the management of geriatric cancer patients through an online survey of oncologists in India. Materials and Methods: A detailed descriptive survey was sent to several practicing oncologists using emails and social media. Results: Between March 2019 and June 2019, 100 answers were collected. Even though 99% of the respondents were treating geriatric patients in their daily clinical practice, 44% lacked awareness for any guideline for geriatric care. Majority of the respondents (70%) claimed not to apply any special management practices using specific tools for every geriatric patient. Overall, there was agreement that the discipline of GO afforded certain potential advantages. Lack of time, training, resources, awareness, and staff were cited as the most common reasons preventing the routine implementation of geriatric assessment in clinical practice. Conclusions: From this nationwide survey, we conclude that there is a perception of the need for training in GO as there is no defined care structure for older patients with cancer.