title: Management of terminal cancer in elderly patients.
abstract: Advances in health care and changing demographics worldwide have led to an ageing population whose care at the end of life has become increasingly complicated. Clinicians face a difficult challenge in the effective management of symptoms and suffering of elderly patients with terminal cancer, against a backdrop of complicated family and social structures. We describe the most pertinent features of management of key symptoms, focusing on pain, dyspnoea, constipation, and anorexia-cachexia syndromes. We present a rational approach to nutritional issues along with a description of the psychosocial issues that must be included in the overall management of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Duke Oncology Network at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA. linda.sutton@duke.edu
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Clipp
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000855:Anorexia / Q000628:therapy; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations