Yara van Holsteing et al. published a systematic review “The association of blood biomarkers with treatment response and adverse health outcomes in older patients with solid tumors: A systematic review” in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology in September 2023
Blood biomarkers are potentially useful prognostic markers and may support treatment decisions, but it is unknown if and which biomarkers are most useful in older patients with solid tumors. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence on the association of blood biomarkers with treatment response and adverse health outcomes in older patients with solid tumors.Most studies did not find a significant association between blood biomarkers and clinical outcomes. The interpretation of current evidence on prognostic blood biomarkers is hampered by small sample sizes and inconsistent results across heterogeneous studies. The choice for blood biomarkers in the majority of included studies seemed driven by availability in clinical practice in retrospective cohort studies. Ageing biomarkers are rarely studied in older patients with solid tumors. Further research is needed in larger and more homogenous cohorts that combine clinical parameters and biomarkers before these can be used in clinical practice.
