Ethical Dilemmas in Elderly Cancer Patients: A Perspective From the Ethics of Care

In the last decade, oncologists and geriatricians have begun to work together to integrate geriatric principles into oncology care. In addition, assessments may be helpful in decision-making by providing estimates of life expectancy, identifying vulnerabilities in individuals, and revealing patients' strengths, weaknesses and preferences. However, ethical problems can be encountered. Ethics involves more than decision-making, and caring is an ethical enterprise in itself. In this article an ethical approach is introduced that can be helpful when dealing with elderly cancer patients. Two cases are discussed from both a principalist and an ethics of care perspective.