Utility of a Patient-Reported Symptom and Functioning Assessment Tool for Geriatric Oncology Care in China.

Abstract Objectives Symptom and functional assessment is challenging in geriatric oncology care. This multicenter cross-sectional study examined the use of a multiple-symptom assessment tool, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), on Chinese patients with cancer aged 65 years and older. Methods Patient-rated symptoms and functioning were assessed using MDASI and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire. Results The most severe symptoms were fatigue and poor appetite. The older group (75-84 years old, n = 224) reported a more severe difficulty remembering (effect size [ES] 0.32; P Conclusions MDASI is psychometrically reliable, valid, and clinically sensitive for the measuring symptom burden and functional status of Chinese patients with cancer aged 65 years and older. MDASI could be adopted to measure multiple symptoms and physical functioning outcomes in geriatric oncology practice as well as for research on treatment benefits.