From Innovation to Impact: Age-Adaptive Oncology for Just and Precision-Driven Care

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

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