[Treatment of cancer and hematological malignancy in elderly people (Part II)].
OBJECTIVE
Fifty percents of cancer arise in people older than 65-year-old. Most clinical trials in cancer treatment are limited in patients younger than 65-year-old. We review literature-describing particularity of cancer treatment in elderly patients.


BACKGROUND
Therapeutic decisions should be based on an estimation of the patient's life expectancy, and risks and benefits should be weighted up accordingly. Geriatric oncology is made of a geriatric evaluation of patient and of knowledge of clinical trial about elderly patients.


CONCLUSIONS
We present in this issue the principle of geriatric evaluation and the results of recent clinical trial on elderly cancer patients.
Ladoire
S
S
Service de médecine interne et maladies systémiques, hôpital général, 3, rue du Faubourg-Raines, 21033 Dijon cedex, France. s.ladoire@caramail.com
Ghiringhelli
F
F
Manckoundia
P
P
Casasnovas
R O
RO
Solary
E
E
Besancenot
J F
JF
Pfitzenmeyer
P
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000628:therapy*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*