Older adults are disproportionately affected by cancer. However, high-quality research focused on aging-specific interventions to improve patient-centered outcomes (e.g. treatment, supportive care, and survivorship) of older patients with cancer is lacking. The Geriatric Oncology Research Group conducts studies that focus on the design and implementation of large, multi-site studies evaluating cancer care delivery methods, supportive care, aging biomarkers, and therapeutic interventions for older adults with cancer. We strive to include a diverse patient population from the Wilmot Cancer Institute, its affiliated community practices, as well as practices nationally.
Specific areas of research focus by our principal investigators include geriatric assessment, communication, cognition, polypharmacy, cachexia and sarcopenia, social network, digital health, treatment decision-making, end of life care, and caregiver health. Our group also utilizes various research methodologies such as qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and machine learning.