Gastrointestinal cancer in the elderly.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a commonly encountered problem in the elderly. Screening for colorectal cancer is cost effective and is increasingly important in this population because incidence rises rapidly in the seventh and eighth decades of life. Surgery remains by far the most important curative option and may be appropriate even at an advanced age. For patients who are not curable, quality of life is the yardstick by which palliative options should be evaluated.
Department of Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia 20037, USA.
J D
JD
Ahlgren
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy