title: Current challenges of lung cancer care in an aging population.
abstract: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the elderly with a high mortality rate. Despite the high incidence, the elderly are under-represented in clinical trials and under-treated in clinical practice. These patients have a higher prevalence of comorbid disease, higher polypharmacy interactions, and an increased risk of mortality and toxicity with cancer treatments, compared to younger patients. Often data about their treatments come from retrospective analysis including patients who do not reflect the general elderly population. However, elderly patients can often receive cancer treatment similar to younger patients and an active treatment should not be denied based on older age.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Division of Medical Oncology, 'S. G.Moscati' Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola Claudia
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casaluce
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgambato
authors.affiliation: a 1 Division of Medical Oncology, 'S. G.Moscati' Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: a 1 Division of Medical Oncology, 'S. G.Moscati' Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.affiliation: c 3 USLL5, Cittadella, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palazzolo
authors.affiliation: d 4 Division of Pharmacy, 'S. G. Moscati' Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.affiliation: a 1 Division of Medical Oncology, 'S. G.Moscati' Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018579:Patient Selection; D019338:Polypharmacy
keywords: elderly patients; lung cancer; non-small-cell lung cancer; small cell lung cancer; therapeutic approaches