The ethics of caring for the older patient with cancer: defining the issues

Cancer in any age group can be devastating. Elderly cancer patients, however, must face their own mortality while reflecting on their past life and the personal set of moral codes they have formulated over the years. This review examines these issues and reflects on "the dynamics of cancer," the way that these dynamics influence patient autonomy, and how disrupted autonomy creates suffering that is sometimes misunderstood by caregivers eager to prolong life--sometimes at any cost. Further, various routes open to patients and caregivers, including termination of therapy, aid in dying, and life-support systems, are discussed. Finally, the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, as well as their rights and freedoms, are examined.