[Palliative care for the elderly with advanced cancer organizational problems]

Scientific studies have demonstrated the need for the development of palliative care to patients with malignant neoplasms in Russia; more than 2/3 of these patients are retired; more than 80% of deaths occur at home. The purpose of the work was to highlight the main organizational problems of palliative care for elderly patients with generalized forms of malignant neoplasms. The authors have studied cancer morbidity and mortality in the Nizhny Novgorod region and in Russia in the past decade and identified the need for palliative care beds. The analysis of medical records has revealed great physical symptom burden in cancer elderly patients in the last year of life. The main problems that require solutions to alleviate the suffering of incurable cancer elderly patients and support their families have been formulated and some solutions have been offered.