Use of Practical Geriatric Assessment in Older Adults with Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy to Improve Supportive Care Referrals

What this Trial Is About

Older adults with non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy SBRT are recommended to have a special health assessment called a comprehensive geriatric assessment CGA. This assessment helps evaluate physical function, nutrition, social support, psychological well-being, medical conditions, and cognitive function to guide treatment and supportive care decisions. However, CGA is resource-intensive and not often used, leading to a need for simpler tools. This study evaluates the Practical Geriatric Assessment PGA, a shorter 10-25 minute tool designed to be completed by any healthcare provider, to see if it improves referral rates for supportive care and is acceptable to patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the intervention group, providers will complete the PGA and receive the results along with weekly reminders for up to one month to refer patients to recommended supportive services. In the control group, providers will complete the PGA for baseline assessment but will not be informed of results or referral recommendations providers will manage supportive care at their discretion. The study also collects facial photographs and audio-visual data during the PGA to develop and test artificial intelligence algorithms, such as FaceAge, which estimates biological age from facial images to identify vulnerable patients. Participants will complete the PGA survey, and researchers will assess how easy or difficult patients find it and whether its use affects referrals to supportive care one month after implementation. The study involves baseline imaging consistent with standard cancer care and evaluates referral patterns and patient acceptance of the PGA. The total study duration extends through June 2026, aiming to determine the feasibility of wider PGA implementation and the potential of AI tools to enhance supportive care identification.

Practical Geriatric Assessment in Older Adults With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy