Ethic Issues in Geriatric Cancer Patients

radyasyon_onkolojisi_102

Özge KANDEMİR GÜRSELa , Mustafa AKINb
aProf. Dr. Cemil Taşcıoğlu City Hospital, Clinic of Radiation Oncology, İstanbul, Türkiye
bBalıkesir Atatürk City Hospital, Clinic of Radiation Oncology, Balıkesir, Türkiye

Kandemir Gürsel Ö, Akın M. Ethic issues in geriatric cancer patients. In: Metcalfe E, ed. Radiotherapy and Current Developments in Geriatric Cancers. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2024. p.72-8.

ABSTRACT
Due to the increase in the number of geriatric cancer population in recent years, ethical issues have gained importance along with challenging medical and psychosocial problems.Since receiving a cancer diagnosis symbolise a new segment in the patient’s life, physician should adequately explain the diagnosis, potential treatments, and the prognosis.It is vital to consider age, performance, functional status, comorbidities and treatment goals when presenting treatment options for elderly patients. When evaluating therapeutic alternatives, elderly patients should not be excluded from curative therapy. Geriatric assessment is the process of evaluating a situation in a descriptive, informative, and solution-focused manner to identify the difficulties affecting the elderly patient prior to oncological treatment. Ethical issues arise with cancer diagnosis, providing information, obtaining consent for medical treatments, including palliative and supportive care, and referring to the best treatment options for the elderly. Clinicians should be aware of the ethical issues that frequently arise when caring for elderly patients.

Keywords: Geriatrics; radiotherapy; ethics; informed consent; ageism

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