About this Research Topic
We have been witnessing a growing interest of health care professionals in geriatric oncology, and that is not surprising. Our population is aging, and age is the most important risk factor for cancer overall and for many individual cancer types. Head and neck cancer does not make an exception, as we are seeing more and more patients diagnosed beyond the age of 65 years.
This Article Collection, “Head and Neck Cancer in the Elderly”, will provide a comprehensive overview of the topic including epidemiology, pathology, and different treatment approaches (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and investigational drugs), not ignoring post-treatment follow-up. This collection aims to cover the entire spectrum of histological types ranging from rare tumours, such as salivary gland and nasopharyngeal cancers, through the more common squamous cell carcinomas to the most frequent thyroid cancers.
One of the key messages is to show that appropriately selected elderly patients can derive comparable benefits from the same treatment as delivered to their younger counterparts, irrespective of curative or palliative intent. However, additional measures may be required, starting with an attentive pre-treatment geriatric screening with or without a more detailed assessment and followed by an adequate supportive care with a special focus on psychosocial well-being, which is also influenced by advancing age. The priorities of palliative and end-of-life care are not similar to those in younger individuals, albeit the role of preserving and respecting personal autonomy remains uniform. In this context, maintaining quality of survival and assessing quality of life as a standardized global measure are essential components.
Our ambition is not less than to establish a solid reference source for all stakeholders in the healthcare system who feel the urge of improving cancer care in elderly people.
This Article Collection, “Head and Neck Cancer in the Elderly”, will provide a comprehensive overview of the topic including epidemiology, pathology, and different treatment approaches (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and investigational drugs), not ignoring post-treatment follow-up. This collection aims to cover the entire spectrum of histological types ranging from rare tumours, such as salivary gland and nasopharyngeal cancers, through the more common squamous cell carcinomas to the most frequent thyroid cancers.
One of the key messages is to show that appropriately selected elderly patients can derive comparable benefits from the same treatment as delivered to their younger counterparts, irrespective of curative or palliative intent. However, additional measures may be required, starting with an attentive pre-treatment geriatric screening with or without a more detailed assessment and followed by an adequate supportive care with a special focus on psychosocial well-being, which is also influenced by advancing age. The priorities of palliative and end-of-life care are not similar to those in younger individuals, albeit the role of preserving and respecting personal autonomy remains uniform. In this context, maintaining quality of survival and assessing quality of life as a standardized global measure are essential components.
Our ambition is not less than to establish a solid reference source for all stakeholders in the healthcare system who feel the urge of improving cancer care in elderly people.
Keywords: Geriatric Oncology, Elderly Oncology, Head and Neck Cancers, Palliative Care, Psycho-oncology
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