A state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary approach to cancer and aging

With the majority of cancers occurring in individuals over the age of 65 against a backdrop of an expanding aging population, there is an urgent need to integrate the areas of clinical oncology and geriatric care. This timely work tackles these issues head-on, presenting a truly multidisciplinary and international perspective on cancer and aging from world-renowned experts in geriatrics, oncology, behavioral science, psychology, gerontology, and public health.

Unlike other books on geriatric oncology that focus mainly on treatment, Cancer and Aging Handbook: Research and Practice examines all phases of the cancer care continuum, from prevention through evidence-based diagnosis and treatment to end-of-life care. Detailed clinical and research information helps guide readers on effective patient care as well as caregiver training, research, and intervention. Coverage includes:

• Epidemiology of cancer in older adults, plus the unique physical, mental, and social issues involved
• Strategies and guidelines for prevention, screening, and treatment of older individuals with cancer
• The most common cancers in the elderly, including breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer
• Cancer survivorship in older adults as well as the all-critical issues of palliative care and pain management
• Emerging topics such as caregiver and family issues, different models of care, and cost considerations

An essential resource for clinicians and caregivers as well as researchers interested in this evolving field, Cancer and Aging Handbook is also useful for public health professionals and policymakers who need to formulate services and allocate resources for the growing population of older cancer patients.

Keith M. Bellizzi, Ph.D, MPH, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. He was trained in gerontology and epidemiology and he has spent the past several years in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute, leading a division-wide cancer and aging initiative. Dr. Bellizzi is the current chair of the research on cancer and aging interest group of the Gerontological Society of America.  He is also a co-investigator on the Medical Health Outcomes Study and Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (MHOS/SEER) Program examining the impact of cancer on pre-existing medical conditions in older adults.

Margot Gosney, MD, FRCP, is Professor of Elderly Care Medicine and Director of the Institute of Health Sciences in the University of Reading, UK. She is also a clinician working in Elderly Care at the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Reading. Her research interests lie in the area of aging, and also include oncology, dental science for stroke patients, influenza, incontinence, falls and intellectual decline, and impaired vision and hearing. The association between nutrition and the health of elderly people has been a feature of Dr. Gosney's research and the University group has an international reputation for its findings in this area. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, has authored seven book chapters, and recently published Managing Older People in Primary Care: A Practical Guide, edited by Margot Gosney and Dr. Tess Harris; ISBN: 9780199546589; Oxford University Press, September 2009; 344pp, $67.95.