[Oncology in relation to aging of the population]

The constant aging of the population has a profound impact on future health policies regarding cancer treatment, because age is the main single determinant for developing cancer. A new specialty is now emerging: geriatric oncology. So far, the very few data available indicate that elderly patients are often misstaged and therefore mistreated, as a result of the lack of appropriate instruments for the evaluation of the individual life expentancy. New instruments should be developed given the emergency situation created by the explosive increase in cancer incidence.