Improving Consistency and Quality of Care for Older Adults With Cancer: The Challenges of Developing Consensus Guidelines for Radiation Therapy

The demographics of cancer patients are changing. For decades, epidemiologists and clinicians have predicted rising numbers of older patients with cancer (1, 2). Although aging is a heterogeneous process, older patients often present with challenges that can significantly affect their ability to tolerate antineoplastic therapy. Older age is associated with higher rates of comorbidities, polypharmacy, organ dysfunction, and immune cell senescence (3). Many of these changes with aging are silent until the patients are introduced to stressors (eg, surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy) that unmask the aging process and manifest as an increased risk of toxicity or functional decline.

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