ABSTRACT
In North America and Europe, more than 12% of the population is over 65 years of age. All older persons are facing decisions at the end of life that will affect their families and society.1 The simple fact that this book and this chapter have been written proceeds from the belief that older individuals constitute a distinct group deserving special consideration regarding diagnosis, treatment, and the general management of cancer. Epidemiological data, however, do not define a group of older persons clearly separated from younger persons. Rather, age is a discrete variable without clear-cut boundaries, and the incidence of cancer increases monotonically with age.
