Darcy N. Bryan, MD

As the population ages over thenext 50 years, the number ofcancer patients is expected todouble from the current 1.3 million to2.6 million, and the majority of thosepatients will be at least 75 years old.[1]Projected increases in life expectancyaccount for this change. For womenliving in industrialized countries, it isestimated that the average life span infuture decades will reach 90 years.[2]Most cancers increase in incidenceand mortality as a population ages,although the causal link between oncogenesisand senescence remainscomplex and elusive. Within the contextof an upsurge in cancer incidence,an analysis of the inequitable treatmentof older patients afflicted withcancer takes on an urgent need.