[How to treat an elderly person's cancer?].

Among the elderly having cancer, many are in good condition and wish for active treatment. Although elderly people have been shown to benefit from oncological treatments, they are more susceptible than the young to the adverse effects of treatment. Comprehensive geriatric assessment has been utilized in predicting the capability of an elderly patient to tolerate treatment. A functional status questionnaire completed by the patient her/himself has been used in the oncological unit of Helsinki University Hospital in support of a cancer drug therapy assessment. The consultations with an oncologist have been centralized and the patients have had a possibility to meet a geriatrist.