A Scalable Model to Improve Cancer Care for Older Adults

Individuals aged 70 years and older account for more than 40% of patients with cancer in the US and 25% of those with incident cancers. Yet older adults have been largely neglected by cancer research and care improvement efforts. Less than 3% of older patients with cancer are enrolled in oncology clinical trials, and the landscape of treatments received by older adults is not well understood. Comorbid conditions, frailty, and resource limitations can necessitate modifications to cancer treatments and render older patients more vulnerable to complications. Moreover, many may be ineligible for or choose to forgo anticancer therapy and therefore see oncology practitioners infrequently—despite experiencing symptoms and conditions that require ongoing management. These complexities beg for scalable strategies to monitor and support older adults with cancer.