[Oncological therapy in the elderly]

Advanced age alone should never be the reason for refusing elderly people an effective oncological therapy which could improve their quality of life and possibly also meaningfully extend their survival. However, age-related physiological organ changes and potential cognitive, emotional and social problems must be precisely analyzed before beginning a therapy. Only then can a decision be made for a specific tumour therapy or perhaps symptom management with supportive measures. Treatability is evaluated using test instruments that have been developed for geriatric assessment.