Cancer in the older adult: understanding age-related changes

As the population ages, nurses will be working with increased numbers of elderly cancer patients. It is imperative that nurses gain an understanding of the aging process and an appreciation of the cancer experience in the older adult. By aggravating or influencing cancer-related symptoms and their treatments, or by inducing non-cancer related symptoms, concurrent health problems may inadvertently be thought to be associated with malignancy progression. An in-depth investigation of a patient's history may reveal a vast number of actual and potential health problems; the areas that pose special concerns for the elderly are nutrition, pain, and psychosocial aspects, such as depression and confusion.