Radiation therapy for older cancer patients

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death among the elderly. With the dramatic increase in life expectancy, treatment approach of older cancer patients poses major challenges. There is no consensus on treatment guidelines for elderly cancer patients with significant variability among physicians due to concerns for toxicity. The issue is further complicated by a lack of quality data on age-related issues of cancer management. This review highlights important factors relevant to treatment decision making in older cancer patients with special emphasis on radiation therapy for lung, prostate and breast cancer. The potential benefits of recent innovations and emerging radiotherapeutic technologies and their application to elderly cancer patients is also presented.