Book Description

Handbook of Geriatric Oncology: Practical Guide to Caring for the Older Cancer Patient is a practical resource for oncologists, related clinicians, and nurses who want to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care to the elderly cancer patient. Divided into nine succinct sections, it includes topics spanning an Introduction to Aging and Frailty, Geriatric Syndromes, Geriatric Assessment, Select Cancers in the Elderly, Communication With the Older Cancer Patient, the Nursing Home Patient With Cancer, Models of Care: Survivorship, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine. Complex issues such as the physiologic changes of aging and their effect on cancer, corresponding social and psychological aspects that accompany aging and a cancer diagnosis, assessment of frailty, managing comorbid conditions and diseases, effective communication among health care providers, the patient and caregivers, as well as the risks and benefits of cancer screening, are made simpler with helpful clinical guidance and clinical pearls. Spearheaded by world experts in geriatric oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, this book is the definitive resource for oncologists and related clinicians to meet the demands of clinical management along the continuum of geriatric cancer care. Key Features Provides best practices for evaluating geriatric syndromes such as functional dependency, falls, cognitive impairment and dementia, delirium, depression and anxiety, social isolation as well as syndromes related to nutrition, comorbid conditions, and polypharmacy. Includes practical guidance on when to treat and when not to treat cancer in older patients Discusses unique factors associated with breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancers, and myelodysplastic syndromes in the elderly that impact care plans and treatment.