[What's new in geriatric oncology?].

Remarkably, although 60% of new cancer cases and over 70% of cancer deaths occur in patients aged 65 years and older in Europe, standard treatment strategies have been mostly validated in younger adults. This demographic trend has led to the emergence of a new medical discipline, geriatric oncology and the development worldwide of geriatric oncology programs for the individualized management of elderly cancer patients. Elderly cancer patients represent an increasing share of the population and strategies for treating cancer must evolve to face this ineluctable reality.

How pain and analgesics disturb sleep.

Objective: Clinical experiences as well as specific investigations show that pain and sleep disturbances are closely correlated. The aims of this review are first to describe sleep disturbances related to painful medical diseases and analgesics and secondly to propose management possibilities for these sleep disturbances.

Method: The viewpoints presented were based mainly on objective rest activity and sleep studies using actigraphy and polysomnography.

Alcohol abuse and dependence in elderly emergency department patients.

Although elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol, alcohol use disorders in late life have received relatively little attention in the literature. Our objectives were to assess the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (abuse and dependence), the medical profile and psychosocial characteristics in elderly people visiting emergency department (ED). A cohort of 2405 patients aged over 60 who came to the ED of a university hospital during a 3-month period was studied.

[The handling of anti-cancer drugs in elderly patients].

Unlabelled: The management of elderly patients with cancer is not established. The use of antineoplastic agents (particularly of chemotherapy) raises a lot of questions. Efficiency and toxicity.