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Cancer and Aging: Challenges in Geriatric Cancer Survivorship

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 416

Editors

School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
Interests: breast cancer; geriatric oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), Houston, TX 77030, USA
Interests: geriatric medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is largely a disease found in older populations, and our population is aging. The landscape of oncological treatment has evolved drastically since the turn of the century, with advances in targeted and immunotherapies coming to the forefront of cancer care. With increasing treatment modalities and complexity, the requirement for management of older adults with cancer as a unique specialty has emerged. This approach requires striking a balance between treatment efficacy to prolong length of life and maintaining quality of life and independence. Much debated topics in this field include those related to geriatric assessment, management of chronic health conditions and competing comorbidities, prehabilitation, rehabilitation, involvement of older adults in clinical trials, and shared decision-making. We can no longer ignore the global health crisis approaching us in the management of older adults with cancer; with the numbers of older adults diagnosed with and living with cancer increasing exponentially, we need to develop strategies to manage and fulfill the individual needs of this population.

Dr. Ruth Parks
Dr. Dana E. Giza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • geriatric oncology
  • survivorship
  • advance care planning
  • quality of life
  • de-escalation of treatment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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17 pages, 972 KB  
Systematic Review
Quality of Outcome Reporting for Older Subgroups in FDA Registration Gastroesophageal Cancer Trials (2010–2024): A Systematic Review
by Ilse Trip, Martha Kormi, Elizabeth Smyth, Russell D. Petty and Mark A. Baxter
Cancers 2026, 18(17), 2747; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18172747 - 24 Aug 2026
Abstract
Background: Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is predominantly a disease of older adults. However, older adults are underrepresented in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and outcomes specific to this subgroup are underreported. Clinicians therefore extrapolate data from younger, fitter trial populations, which can lead to over- [...] Read more.
Background: Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is predominantly a disease of older adults. However, older adults are underrepresented in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and outcomes specific to this subgroup are underreported. Clinicians therefore extrapolate data from younger, fitter trial populations, which can lead to over- and undertreatment of older cancer patients. This study examines the inclusion and completeness of outcome reporting for older patients in practice-changing trials in gastroesophageal cancer. Methods: RCTs were identified from United States Food and Drug Administration (accelerated) approvals between 2010 and 2024. The primary study report, clinicaltrial.gov repository and all relevant secondary publications were assessed for the level of reporting of outcomes. Efficacy outcomes were reported as complete, partial, qualitative or quantitative based on availability of sample size, effect size and measures of precision. Baseline characteristics, toxicity outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes were assessed using minimum data thresholds. Results: In total, 13 trials, 53 publications and 13 repository webpages were assessed. A total of 9320 patients were included, of which 40.1% were classified as older adults. Among the patients, 42.2% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) of 0, with all but one trial excluding patients with an ECOG PS of 2 (n = 63). Baseline characteristics and toxicity outcomes for older adults were fully reported in only two trials (15.4%). Reporting of HRQOL outcomes (25.0%), secondary (20.0%) and primary endpoints (66.7%) was more complete. Overall survival (76.9%) and progression-free survival (67.0%) were the most commonly reported primary or secondary endpoints. Conclusions: This study highlights deficits in the outcome reporting of older cancer patients in GOA trials. Simultaneously, this subgroup also remains heavily underrepresented in GOA trials compared to the real-world patient population. These findings highlight the need for improvements in both trial design and outcome reporting standards for older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer and Aging: Challenges in Geriatric Cancer Survivorship)
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