Current status of head and neck cancer therapy in the elderly

In the years to come health care systems of western industrialized nations are going to be increasingly faced with the results of demographic changes. Especially the part of elderly citizens will grow steadily. Thus, also an increasing number of malignant diseases not only in the head & neck area is expected. Decision-making in cancer therapy for elderly patients is challenging for medical professional since this subject is accompanied by a high rate of uncertainness. For fear of aggressive therapy regimens with subsequent increase of morbidity, in many cases only incomplete diagnostic and therapeutic measures are taken. Reviewing the literature there is almost complete international consensus, that patients suffering from squamous cell cancer of the head & neck should be treated with curative intention, if thorough preoperative assessment of present comorbidities is performed. Furthermore aggressive treatment options should not be excluded. An optimal medical adjustment of relevant concomitant diseases clearly improves the starting point. In comparison to younger control groups therapy associated complications do not occur significantly higher. For this reason elderly patients should be treated with curative intention. Age itself should never be a sole factor deciding which curative therapy should be undertaken. Exceptions could be made in patients with severe general comorbidity.