ABSTRACT
A surgical procedure in an elderly oncology patient must be planned with consideration of the differences in physiology of the patient, the response to anesthesia and stress, and particular aspects of nutrition in surgical illness. Just as surgical procedures in neonates cannot be considered treatment of ‘small adults’, nor can the surgical management of the elderly simply be considered treatment of ‘older adults’. This chapter provides an overview of the physiologic, pharmacologic, ethical, and functional issues that play an important role in the surgical treatment of the elderly. It is necessarily succinct, and the interested reader is referred to the comprehensive references, which address specific issues in much greater detail.
