Cancer in older patients: which assessment before treatment decisions

Most of the deaths due to cancer affect the elderly population. The numerous and often underestimated co-morbidities, which weaken elderly cancer patients, interfere with the validity of medical decisions, by raising questions related to the true benefits of the suggested radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in the medium or long term. This leads, sometimes wrongly, either to an absence of oncologic treatment, or to excessive or aggressive therapeutic proposals. The review of the literature leads us to suggest that a global geriatric evaluation should systematically be done to oncologic patients over seventy, with the help of proven tools, in order to offer an appropriate and optimal oncologic treatment.