Appropriate Cancer Care in the Elderly

Physicians treating older patients with cancer should evaluate the patient’s physiologic, not chronologic, age when determining appropriate care, according to Lodovico Balducci, MD.

“Older age by itself is not a contraindication to the treatment of cancer,” Balducci said. “Age by itself is not a reason to reduce the dose of cancer treatment. Doctors may hurt their older patients, not because they treat them too much, but because they don’t treat them enough.”

Physicians treating older patients with cancer should evaluate the patient’s physiologic, not chronologic, age when determining appropriate care, according to Lodovico Balducci, MD.

“Older age by itself is not a contraindication to the treatment of cancer,” Balducci said. “Age by itself is not a reason to reduce the dose of cancer treatment. Doctors may hurt their older patients, not because they treat them too much, but because they don’t treat them enough.”

Physicians treating older patients with cancer should evaluate the patient’s physiologic, not chronologic, age when determining appropriate care, according to Lodovico Balducci, MD.

“Older age by itself is not a contraindication to the treatment of cancer,” Balducci said. “Age by itself is not a reason to reduce the dose of cancer treatment. Doctors may hurt their older patients, not because they treat them too much, but because they don’t treat them enough.”