Dr Giampaolo Ugolini talks to ecancer at the 2013 SIOG meeting in Copenhagen about advances in surgery and other treatments that may be especially taxing to elderly patients.

Using information from clinical trials involving younger patients, while keeping in mind that some elderly patients can be healthy but still frail, clinicians must determine the most effective course of treatment without adversely affecting the patient’s quality of life. Other issues are the social situations of elderly patients, such as living in a care home.