Oral Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2019

Older cancer patients - the evolution of geriatric oncology AND palliative care  (#110)

Jane Phillips 1
  1. University of Technology Sydney, BROADWAY, NSW, Australia

A combination of population ageing, the increasing number of older people diagnosed with cancer and living with other comorbidities and the complexity of cancer treatments is challenging healthcare systems and clinicians to consider new models of care. There is an urgent need for greater collaboration between oncology, geriatrics, primary and palliative care providers to ensure that the needs of this population are adequately addressed. This presentation will provide an overview of the current evidence supporting the integration of geriatric medicine principles and cancer-focused geriatric assessment to enhance the delivery of best evidence cancer care for older adults, with palliative care needs. It will explore the evidence supporting the interface between palliative medicine, geriatrics, oncology and primary care and the tools and resources that contributes to better care outcomes for this population.