Caring for older cancer patients: practical decision-making guidelines with a focus on advance directives

There are no simple solutions to difficult ethical problems. Advance directives, however, offer a way to help prevent ethical dilemmas from occurring in the care of older cancer patients. Studies show that there is overwhelming support from both older patients and physicians for advance treatment planning through the use of living wills, durable powers of attorney for health care, and less formal means. Despite this support, few physicians and patients discuss advance directives. This paper discusses potential barriers to this dialogue and suggests specific ways to incorporate advance directive into routine cancer care of older patients. The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 represents additional pressure from society on the medical profession to carry out advance directive discussions.