Geriatric oncology

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Geriatric Oncology

Geriatric oncology (pronunciation: jeh-ree-at-rik on-kol-uh-jee) is a branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in older adults. The term is derived from the Greek words geron meaning "old man" and onkos meaning "tumor".

Overview

Geriatric oncology combines the principles of geriatrics and oncology to provide specialized care for older adults with cancer. This field recognizes the unique health needs and concerns of older adults, such as increased risk of comorbidity, decreased physiological reserve, and increased susceptibility to treatment side effects.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis in geriatric oncology often involves a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to evaluate an older adult's functional status, comorbidities, cognition, psychological state, social support, nutritional status, and polypharmacy. This assessment helps to guide treatment decisions and predict treatment tolerance and outcomes.

Treatment

Treatment in geriatric oncology may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these. The choice of treatment is influenced by factors such as the type and stage of cancer, the patient's overall health and preferences, and the potential benefits and risks of treatment.

Related Terms

  • Geriatrics: The branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion, prevention, and treatment of disease and disability in older adults.
  • Oncology: The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
  • Comorbidity: The presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders co-occurring with a primary disease or disorder.
  • Physiological reserve: The ability of an organ or body system to continue functioning properly in the face of stress or disease.
  • Geriatric assessment: A multidimensional, multidisciplinary diagnostic process to determine the medical, psychological, and functional capabilities of a frail older person in order to develop a coordinated and integrated plan for treatment and long-term follow-up.

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski