There is a need to improve treatment of cancer in elderly as these patients are likely to make up the majority of cancer sufferers in the future. There is a shortage of elderly patients within clinical trials and consequently dosing regimens are not generally suitable for older patients. Fit patients with low levels of comorbidities can be treated with standard therapies, however the majority of elderly cancer patients experience some degree of comorbidity and treatment should be adjusted accordingly.

Dr Stuart Lichtman discusses a publication from the Cancer and Aging Research Group which outlines some simple ways for doctors to gauge the health of elderly cancer patients, explains what can be done to improve cancer care for the elderly.