Strategies to Assess and Manage Frailty among Patients Diagnosed with Primary Malignant Brain Tumors

• Published in: Current treatment options in oncology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 27 - 41
• Main Authors: Ernster, Alayna E., Klepin, Heidi D., Lesser, Glenn J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Brain cancer; Brain tumors; Cancer therapies; Comorbidity; Complications; Frailty; Glioma; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Postoperative; Topical Collection on Neuro-oncology; Brain tumor; Frailty; Neuro-oncology; Glioma
• ISSN: 1527-2729; 1534-6277; 1534-6277; 1534-5277
• DOI: 10.1007/s11864-023-01167-z

Opinion statement Frailty refers to a biologic process that results in reduced physiologic and functional reserve. Patients diagnosed with primary malignant brain tumors experience high symptom burden from tumor and tumor-directed treatments that, coupled with previous comorbidities, may contribute to frailty. Within the primary malignant brain tumor population, frailty is known to associate with mortality, higher healthcare utilization, and increased risk of postoperative complications. As such, methods to assess and manage frailty are paramount. However, there is currently no clear consensus on how to best assess and manage frailty throughout the entirety of the disease trajectory. Given the association between frailty and health outcomes, more research is needed to determine best practice protocols for the assessment and management of frailty among patients diagnosed with primary malignant brain tumors.