ABSTRACT
Improved standards of living, improved nutrition, and better prevention and healthcare have led to increased life-expectancy in many parts of the world. The birth rate has also declined substantially in many countries. The consequence of these changes is an increasing average age in many populations. United Nations population predictions suggest that globally the number of people aged over 60 years will more than triple, to reach nearly two billion by 2050. For the oldest old, those aged 80 and over, the predictions are even more marked. A fivefold increase to 379 million is estimated.1 As the risk of most epithelial cancers increases with age, numbers of people with cancers can also be expected to grow.
