ABSTRACT
Aging is a normal process of our lifespan, not a disease. The US population is aging and older persons are living longer. Their future involves significant medical, public health, economic, social, and ethical issues.1 With aging, the incidence of cancer increases, and our expanding older population makes the prevalence of cancer more apparent. Recent reviews of geriatric oncology have characterized the problem in terms of the volume of patients and the diagnosis and treatment of the older person with cancer.1-7 To meet this challenge, there will be more emphasis on physician education in geriatrics, an increase in basic and clinical research on cancer in older persons, and an adjustment in physicians’ methods of care of older persons with cancer.
