geriatric oncology

Objectives: To provide an overview on the role of family caregivers (FCGs) in the care of older adults with cancer and review quality of life needs for FCGs. Data Sources: Journal articles, research reports, state of the science papers, position papers, and clinical guidelines from professional organizations were used. Conclusion: The high prevalence of multiple comorbidities and the associated burden of geriatric events in older adults have a substantial impact on the quality of life of their FCGs.

The steady advances in oncology bring a host of therapeutic options for older adults (≤65 years old) with cancer. As these patients experience this proliferation of anticancer therapies, their caregivers too have witnessed their role rapidly expanding and evolving as they care for these individuals. To better understand the caregiver experience, a review of the current literature on informal caregiving and cancer caregiving was conducted.

Background: Although palliative care is expanding globally for patients with serious illness, Turkey has not had widespread integration of early concurrent oncology palliative care. Hence, adapting and testing models of concurrent oncology palliative care for Turkish patients is imperative.