title: Cancer in long-term care.
abstract: This article describes the range of cancer patients in longterm care and provides a framework for clinical decision making. The benefits and burdens of providing standard therapy to a vulnerable population are discussed. To give more specific guidelines for advocates of treatment, skeptics, and others, the authors present best estimates of the current burden of cancer in the long-term care population and current screening guidelines that apply to the elderly under long-term care. Experience-based suggestions are offered for oncologists and clinicians involved in long-term care to help them respond to patient and family concerns about limitations of cancer care.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA. korcgrob@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Korc-Grodzicki
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Miriam B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rodin
authors.forename: Rachelle E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bernacki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011379:Prognosis