PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — A new study published in the September 2025 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network confirms the effectiveness of a specialized tool for identifying medications that may pose risks to older cancer patients. The Geriatric Oncology Potentially Inappropriate Medications scale, or GO-PIMs, was tested on a national level using Veterans Affairs (VA) Cancer Registry data covering more than 380,000 patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2022.
The findings highlight that 38% of older adults with cancer were prescribed at least one GO-PIM, most commonly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Each additional high-risk medication was associated with a 66% greater likelihood of being frail at diagnosis, underscoring the tool’s predictive value in linking prescribing patterns to patient outcomes.
“This research is about making treatment safer and more tolerable—especially for older adults who are already vulnerable to adverse events,” said lead author Jennifer La, PhD, of Harvard Medical School and the VA Boston Cooperative Studies Program Center. She noted that many commonly prescribed supportive care medications may worsen frailty, increase hospitalizations, and even raise mortality risk.
Senior author Clark DuMontier, MD, MPH, also of Harvard Medical School and VA Boston/Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, emphasized the clinical potential of GO-PIMs. “Tools like the GO-PIMs scale can be built into electronic health records to flag concerning prescriptions. We need to weigh the risks and benefits carefully, and when possible, consider safer alternatives or deprescribing,” he said.
Independent experts praised the study’s national scope and practical implications. “This research underscores the opportunity to improve care by addressing medication-related risks,” said Mostafa Mohamed, MBBCh, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, in a commentary published alongside the study. “The next step is integrating tools like GO-PIMs into everyday practice, not only to flag high-risk medications, but also to support actionable changes in treatment planning and patient care.”
The GO-PIMs scale was initially validated at a single institution for patients with hematologic malignancies. Its expanded validation across a nationwide cohort of both solid tumors and blood cancers strengthens the case for its adoption in oncology practice.
Researchers and commentators alike point to the cancer diagnosis period as a critical opportunity to reassess medications. With systemic therapy often introducing complex regimens, they argue, tools like GO-PIMs could help oncology teams strike a safer balance between efficacy and tolerability in older patients.
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