The Globalization of Geriatric Oncology: From Data to Practice

Abstract

Older adults with cancer are a unique group of patients who require specialized care and treatment. The field of geriatric oncology (GO) was born more than 3 decades ago to address the needs of this growing group of patients. Some challenges in the GO field include establishing a GO clinical service, educating and training personnel, and conducting research in GO. These issues are addressed to varying extents with global initiatives in GO, which are largely dependent on the socioeconomic status of the countries involved. To overcome disparities seen globally, scientific journals that reach an international cancer audience should publish content related to improving care of older adults with cancer around the world, develop an organizational structure that encourages global dissemination of GO knowledge, and advance reporting policies that encourage higher-quality reporting of data relevant to older adults with cancer worldwide. A number of international scientific journals have risen to the occasion to address these disparities. A key battle in enabling access of this vulnerable group of patients to clinical trials is now being fought and won on the global front with numerous regulatory initiatives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) recently issued draft guidance on the inclusion of older adults in cancer clinical trials. This and other global initiatives led by the FDA have the potential to further improve the evidence base for older adults with cancer.