[Geriatric oncology]

The demographic development will result in a major increase in the number of elderly cancer patients. Age is the main risk factor for the development of a malignant disease. The incidence of the main cancer diagnosis increases with advancing age. Treatment of elderly cancer patients is an exquisite task. On the one hand, an increased morbidity and mortality may be the result of an unreflected transfer into the geriatric setting of treatment schedules developed for younger patients. On the other hand, reduction of dose intensity can result in decreased survival, life prolongation or insufficient palliation. Elderly people are a very heterogeneous group. Some are in a very good health status. Others are impaired, dependent, suffer from a number of comorbidities and have to take a variety of drugs. Those conditions and not the chronological age influence tolerance against tumour therapy. For elderly patients maintenance of independence and quality of life is more important than disease free survival and prolongation of life.