XXXX in the elderly: is palliative chemotherapy of value?

@entity1 @entity901 @entity137 @entity2600 @entity5 @entity3 @entity14 @entity1487
@entity14 is a disease of the elderly, with 70% of @entity1 being aged 65 years or older. In Western countries, the total number of elderly @entity1 with this disease is expected to further increase in the future. Since the incidence of adverse physical or socioeconomic conditions in the elderly is higher than in younger @entity1 , a thorough assessment of the @entity1 's suitability for therapy should be performed before a decision is made. Using a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to subdivide the population of elderly @entity5 @entity1 into three groups can help to guide treatment decisions. Both in the adjuvant and in the palliative setting, there are sufficient data supporting the use of @entity1487 -based chemotherapy in fit elderly @entity1 who can tolerate cytotoxic treatment. Systemic chemotherapy has been shown to effectively reduce mortality in the adjuvant situation and to be of clinical benefit for @entity1 with @entity3 in terms of longer survival, control of symptoms and quality of life. In recent years, new substances such as @entity901 or @entity2600 have shown significant activity in the treatment of @entity1 with metastatic @entity14 . However, information on how to guide the use of these new drugs in elderly @entity1 is still lacking. Limited data from clinical trials indicate treatment efficacy in selected elderly @entity1 comparable to that observed in younger @entity1 , with overall manageable @entity137 . Clearly, further clinical trials in elderly @entity1 with @entity14 are necessary as well as the incorporation of aspects of geriatric medicine into the teaching programme of medical oncologists.
