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INTRODUCTION: Outpatient appointment nonattendance (NA) represents a public health problem, increasing the risk of unfavorable health-related outcomes. Although NA is significant among older adults, little is known regarding its correlates. This study aimed to identify the correlates (including several domains from the geriatric assessment) of single and repeated NA episodes in a geriatric medicine outpatient clinic, in general and in the context of specific comorbidities. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study including data from 3,034 older adults aged ≥60 years with ≥1 scheduled appointments between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Appointment characteristics as well as sociodemographic, geographical, and environmental information were obtained. Univariate and multivariate multinomial regression analyses were carried out. RESULTS: The mean age was 81.8 years (SD 7.19). Over a third (37.4%) of participants missed one scheduled appointment, and 14.4% missed ≥2. Participants with a history of stroke (OR 1.336, p = 0.041) and those with a greater number of scheduled appointments during the study time frame (OR 1.182, p < 0.001) were more likely to miss one appointment, while those with Parkinson's disease (OR 0.346, p < 0.001), other pulmonary diseases (OR 0.686, p = 0.008), and better functioning for activities of daily living (ADL) (OR 0.883, p < 0.001) were less likely to do so. High socioeconomic level (OR 2.235, p < 0.001), not having a partner (OR 1.410, p = 0.006), a history of fractures (OR 1.492, p = 0.031), and a greater number of scheduled appointments (OR 1.668, p < 0.001) increased the risk of repeated NA, while osteoarthritis (OR 0.599, p = 0.001) and hypertension (OR 0.680, p = 0.002) decreased it. In specific comorbidity populations (hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer), better ADL functioning protected from a single NA, while better mobility functioning protected from repeated NA in older patients with hypertension and cancer. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Identifying geriatric factors linked to an increased probability of NA may allow one to anticipate its likelihood and lead to the design and implementation of preventive strategies and to an optimization of the use of available health resources. The impact of these factors on adherence to clinical visits requires further investigation.

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Cancer is primarily a disease of older persons. Given the heterogeneity of aging, physiological age, rather than chronological age, better expresses the cumulative effect of environmental, medical, and psychosocial stressors, which modifies life expectancy. Comprehensive geriatric assessment, a tool that helps ascertain the physiological age of older individuals, is the gold standard for assessing older adults with cancer. Several international organizations recommend using the geriatric assessment domains to identify unrecognized health problems that can interfere with treatment and predict adverse health-related outcomes, aiding complex treatment decision making. More recently, it has been shown that geriatric assessment-guided interventions improve quality of life and mitigate treatment toxicity without compromising survival. In this review, we discuss the role of comprehensive geriatric assessment in cancer care for older adults and provide the reader with useful information to assess potential treatment risks and benefits, anticipate complications, and plan interventions to better care for older people with cancer.

O câncer é principalmente uma doença de pessoas idosas. Diante da heterogeneidade do envelhecimento, a idade fisiológica expressa, melhor do que a idade cronológica, o efeito cumulativo dos estressores ambientais, médicos e psicossociais que modificam a expectativa de vida. A avaliação geriátrica ampla é uma ferramenta que ajuda a determinar a idade fisiológica de um indivíduo idoso e o padrão ouro para avaliar idosos com câncer. Diversas organizações internacionais recomendam considerar os domínios da avaliação geriátrica a fim de identificar problemas de saúde não reconhecidos capazes de interferir no tratamento, e prever resultados adversos relacionados à saúde, auxiliando na complexa tomada de decisão do tratamento. Mais recentemente, intervenções direcionadas com base na avaliação geriátrica também demonstraram melhorar a qualidade de vida e mitigar a toxicidade do tratamento, sem comprometer a sobrevida. Nesta revisão discutimos o papel da avaliação geriátrica ampla no tratamento do câncer para idosos e fornecemos ao leitor informações úteis para avaliar os riscos e benefícios potenciais do tratamento, antecipar complicações e intervir para melhor cuidar dos idosos com câncer

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