From Innovation to Impact: Age-Adaptive Oncology for Just and Precision-Driven Care
A special issue of Current Oncology (ISSN 1718-7729). This special issue belongs to the section "Palliative and Supportive Care".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 26
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Novel therapeutics, innovative biomarkers, and AI-driven cancer management strategies represent emerging advancements in oncology, shaping the design of clinical trials and enhancing patient care. For many years, older adults have been defined using a lifespan framework that assigns chronological age along a linear timeline. However, in individuals with chronic diseases like cancer, the life-course perspective represents a more meaningful approach. This perspective considers the social, biological, cultural, and functional changes that shape an individual’s experience over time. Thus, viewing older adults through a life-course lens highlights the significant heterogeneity among this population in terms of functional aging, biological aging, and social context.
We aim to reframe approaches to oncological care by integrating clinical trials and cancer care delivery using context-driven decision making. This involves adopting an age-adaptive framework that recognizes the dynamic nature of aging—particularly functional aging—and its complex interrelationship with cancer.
This Special Issue emphasizes the importance of considering the following:
- The association of accelerated aging with cancer and its treatments;
- The role of biological aging in cancer development and progression;
- The impact of functional aging on clinical evaluation, management strategies, and the application of precision medicine.
By shifting from a purely chronological view of aging to a more nuanced, life-course-oriented model, we can better tailor oncological care to meet the unique needs of older adults. The tendency for current research to embrace adaptive design approaches in prediction, risk evaluation, and treatment strategies marks a new era in cancer medicine. Understanding how these strategies are developed—and their impact on aging-adult oncology patients—is essential to achieving favorable outcomes.
This Special Issue seeks leading-edge discoveries and state-of-the-art investigations that not only advance oncological practice, but also drive the establishment of transformative, practice-changing care for aging adults.
Dr. Tanyanika Phillips
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Oncology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- age-adaptive
- oncology
- older adults
- aging
- cancer
- precision medicine
- biological aging
- functional aging
- accelerated aging
- biomarkers
- therapeutics
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
