Lymphoma in the elderly

AS LIFE EXPECTANCY increases and the elderly population grows, clinicians can expect to see a larger number of elderly patients with cancer. Most prospective randomized studies that utilize combination chemotherapy exclude patients older than 65 years; therefore, the prognosis and cure rate of elderly patients with lymphoma remains unknown. Elderly lymphoma patients suffer both from excess treatment-related mortality and treatment-unrelated mortality. Known factors contributing to excess mortality are decreased organ/system endurance, increased co-morbid medical conditions, higher prevalence of second neoplasms, and lower remission rates. Thus, aggressive lymphoma management in the elderly is hampered by obstacles demanding from the clinician a thorough understanding of the interacting disease, as well as treatment and host variables affecting outcome.