• Arman Zereshkian, Xingshan Cao, Martine Puts, Krista Dawdy, Lisa Di Prospero, Shabbir Alibhai, Matthew Neve, and Ewa Szumacher.
• Undergraduate Medical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: arman.zereshkian@mai.utoronto.ca.
• J Geriatr Oncol. 2019 Jul 1; 10 (4): 659-665.

PurposeClinical judgement may not be sufficient to detect relevant problems in older cancer patients. We investigated what Geriatric Assessment tools (GA) are used by Canadian radiation oncologists (CROs) to treat non-metastatic prostate cancer patients aged 80 years and older.MethodsA 27-item cross-sectional survey was developed with input from a multidisciplinary team and distributed electronically to Genitourinary (GU) CROs via LimeSurvey. Survey contents included: demographics, treatment choice based on components of GA, and how GA tools are used in clinic. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze multiple-choice data, with Open-ended question being coded and analyzed for emerging themes.Results154 GU CRO's were contacted, 44 responded (29%). Active surveillance was the choice of therapy in older low risk prostate cancer patients regardless of factors used in a GA assessment (97%). Results in intermediate and high-risk older prostate cancer patients were more heterogenous. Functional status and comorbidities were the most important factor in the decision-making-process (94%, 91%). Sixty-six percent of CROs did not use any GA tools; yet 77% felt comfortable to very comfortable treating older patients. Eighty-eight percent felt there were some to very few guidelines in helping them to treat older patients. Barriers to using GA included lack of knowledge, time, support, and resources.ConclusionsGAs are not commonly utilized by CROs. Majority of CROs felt comfortable treating older patients with prostate cancer, regardless of guidelines/evidence in this population. This may have negative implications on patient care. CROs are however open to referring patients for a formal GA.Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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