Description
Increasing longevity coupled with increasing incidence with age means that more and more older patients are being diagnosed with cancer. This presents a real challenge for health professionals who, uncertain about the best management for this heterogenous group, may be undertreating older patients. Certainly the outcome of elderly patients is poor when compared to their younger counterparts. There are many reasons for this including
delayed diagnosis, co-morbidity, lack of specialist referral, concerns about inducing toxicity and inadequate recruitment of elderly patients into clinical trials. There is evidence to show, however, that with careful selection and monitoring elderly patients offered appropriate treatment can do well.
