High-Quality Cancer Care in Older Adults

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 August 2025 | Viewed by 31

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Professor of Internal and Geriatric Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
2. Director Geriatrics Unit, Intermediate Care Hospital, Venerabile Confraternita di Misericordia, via Cammeo 24, Navacchio, 56021 Pisa, Italy
Interests: thyroid cancers; aging process; geriatrics; thyroid function and the aging process; immune- and target therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Geriatrics Unit, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: Alzheimer disease and dementia; cancer in the elderly; target therapy; frailty; the aging process
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The number of cancer diagnoses has been increasing in recent decades as a result of improved diagnostic capacities and demographic modifications. More than half of the subjects who are newly diagnosed with cancer are today aged 65 years or older. These estimates are expected to increase in future decades across high-income countries. As observed for other acute and chronic diseases, cancer treatment in older adults faces two major issues: the low rate of older persons enrolled in randomized clinical trials (the so-called 'evidence-based medicine issue' of geriatrics) and the need to tailor interventions for an heterogeneous population that, due to comorbidity and frailty, may differ from the standard adult population in terms of priorities, preferences and clinically relevant outcomes. Consequently, an evidence-based approach to older cancer patients is still hardly achieved in most cases. In addition, the peculiar characteristics of older patients with cancer can easily lead to either under- or overtreatment, with potentially serious drawbacks for the patients and their caregivers. Indeed, along with the overall decline in cancer-related mortality due to advances in early cancer detection and anticancer treatment, the importance of cancer therapy side effects has increased, especially among older patients. The numerous  drawbacks of anticancer treatment include kidney, liver, respiratory and cardiovascular toxicity and dysfunction, especially in frail patients, and should always be taken into account while establishing cancer treatment strategies. Thus, optimizing the management of cancer in older adults represents a major clinical problem and a top priority for modern healthcare systems. The aim of the present Special Issue of Cancers is to sum up the best of scientific knowledge regarding the clinical management and outcome of older patients with cancer, which extends beyond traditional paradigms and implies the assessment of a clinical complexity spanning multiple domains (including physical, cognitive, psychological, affective, socio-economic and environmental aspects). Unpublished research studies as well as reviews and meta-analyses dealing with the peculiar clinical aspects of cancer in older, frail people would, therefore, be much appreciated.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Monzani
Dr. Valeria Calsolaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • elderly
  • target therapy
  • cancer treatment
  • cancer care

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