Approach to oncologic emergencies in the elderly

Until now there has not been a treatise summarizing the management of oncologic emergencies in the aged. All of the well-described acute complications of malignancy occur in the elderly. Such clinical events are best labeled urgent rather than emergent, and some may be less well tolerated in the older patient because of normal physiologic changes of aging. However, all should be recognized as early as possible and can be treated, when it is appropriate to do so, as has been detailed for 14 problems discussed in this article. The authors also address two important topics, the quality of life and the use of intensive care units, both germane to the difficult question of whom and when to treat.