Prof Sergio Amadori (Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy), Prof Lodovico Balducci (Moffitt Cancer Centre, Florida, USA), Prof Bertrand Coiffier (Hospices Civils de Lyon, France), Prof Antonio Palumbo (University of Turin, Italy), Prof Valeria Santini (University of Florence, Italy), Dr Reinhard Stauder (Innsbruck Medical University, Austria), Dr Antonio Pinto (Foundazione 'G. Pascale', Naples, Italy) and Prof Robin Foà (Sapienza University, Rome, Italy) discuss issues faced in the treatment of blood cancer in the elderly, topics which will be covered in the upcoming ecancer meeting in Rome, 18-20 March 2011. E.g. Myelodysplasia, anaemia, epidemiology, chemotherapy, overtreatment, toxicities, co-morbidities and individualized management. With an aging European population, the conference is set to tackle an important developing area of oncology.