Clinical target volume definition in the elderly patient

Elderly age is one of the main risk factors to be associated with the onset of different tumors. The tumor in the elderly almost always appears at a late, advanced stage for the lack of an accurate attention to symptoms-signs, as well as for the absence of involvement in mass screening campaigns. In the choice of a radiotherapy treatment in the elderly, the healthy tissues adjacent to the tumor may show a different ability for repair; this should be kept in mind in the definition of the target volume together with the possible presence of comorbidities specific to the elderly age.