Cancer in the Elderly
A Nursing and Medical Perspective
Published on 1. September 1997
Book
Hardback
110 pages
978-0-444-82858-3 (ISBN)
Description
This scientific update has been produced as a result of a meeting held in Paris in January 1997, under the auspices of EONS (European Oncology Nursing Society) and ESO (European School of Oncology), where experts from medical and nursing fields gave presentations and discussed the problems relating to cancer in the elderly. Cancer is predominantly a disease of old age and the incidence of cancer is, therefore, greater in the older section of the population. Yet our knowledge of elderly-specific treatment regimens and nursing interventions is poor. Epidemiological studies show that the number of elderly people, and thus the number of cases of cancer, will increase dramatically over the next 25 years. This update seeks to examine current knowledge and practice of cancer care for the elderly, to highlight inadequacies and to point to ways in which practice may be improved and future research contribute to our understanding of cancer in the elderly.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Elsevier Science & Technology
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
references, index
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Weight
410 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-444-82858-3 (9780444828583)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Introduction. Cancer in the elderly, a growing problem. The size of the problem. The social implications of increasing numbers of elderly with cancer. Economic implications. Current problems in cancer care for the elderly. Defining terms - What is elderly? Why are the elderly so vulnerable to cancer? Are the elderly receiving appropriate treatment for cancer? Ageism. Stage at diagnosis. Undertreatment of the elderly. Is cancer less aggressive in the elderly? Screening and prevention. Breast cancer screening. Breast self-examination. Cervical cancer. Prostate cancer. Colorectal cancer. Prevention in the elderly. Attitudes of the elderly to cancer screening. Should the upper limits of screening for cancers be raised? Assessing a patient for fitness to undergo treatment. Functional assessment. Physical assessment. Other considerations. Assessing surgical patients. Treatment of cancer in the elderly. Representation of older patients in cancer treatment trials. Choice of therapy with age - is comorbidity a factor? Axillary dissection in breast cancer. Undertreated or placed in perspective? Dose modification in the elderly. Bone marrow reserve. Should side effects be a quality of life issue in the elderly? Oral versus intravenous therapy. Should cost influence whether the elderly receive adjuvant chemotherapy? Surgery. Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Lung cancer. Oesophageal cancer. Stomach cancer. Liver and biliary tract. Pancreas. Colon and rectum. Ovarian cancer. The nursing care of the elderly with cancer. The concept of frailty. Pre-existing disability or concurrent disease. Pain. Other side effects. Functional status. Communication. Rehabilitation. Ethical considerations. Social functioning. Psychosocial needs. Effects of hospitalisation. Compliance with medication schedules. Palliative care. Future nursing research. Screening and early de