[Clinical assessment for the elderly with cancer]

It is necessary to assess a patient to undergo treatment for cancer from a variety of perspectives including physical function, function of cognition and activity and attitude to receive treatment. Chronological age alone is not a criterion for exclusion from major treatments because of individual differences. However, the age-related physical changes are most evident under major stress, such as surgery. Indices for physical assessment for detection of comorbidity, and for function of cognition and activity are shown here. Radiotherapy is still indicative for elderly cancer patients, because it is less aggressive than surgery, and very localized treatment compared to systemic chemotherapy, though it in itself is not an unaggressive treatment.