[Quality of life for older people under oncological treatment]

Recently, an argument over the medical treatment of older patients has arisen in the field of clinical oncology. In the past oncological treatment has been geared to young and middle-aged people. Currently, oncological treatment takes the peculiarities of older people into consideration. Firstly, it highlights the multidimensionality of Quality of Life (QOL) as an important element, with subjectivity the second element. This notion has gained a worldwide consensus. The domain of "multidimensionality" consists of: 1. Physical status and functional abilities 2. Psychological status and well-being 3. Social interaction 4. Economic status and factors With these factors in mind, different questions are asked, depending on the condition of each patient, in order to let the patient form his/her own judgment on possible medical treatment. However, it is sometimes difficult for older people to make such judgments due to problems such as depression or their diminishing mental ability. Also, it is impossible to define life satisfaction indiscriminately without regard to individual outlook. QOL for older people is generally characterized by "individuality" which includes: 1) A person's integrity; 2) independence; and 3) autonomy. Though these elements are taken into account in adopting the above-mentioned methodology, the field of clinical oncology's two concepts of QOL still apply in principle. Flexibility to put emphasis on different elements of the domain will be necessary. Even though QOL for older people is a matter of subjective judgment, the "sound judgment of professionals" (objective and scientific judgment of caregivers) can be adopted in cases when there is difficulty in communication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)