Geriatric Oncology: Moving From a Niche to an Essential Component of Cancer Care

Authors: Fatma Özge Kayhan Koçak¹, Cecilia Lund^2,3 and Nina Neuendorff⁴

1: Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Izmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Health Science University (Izmir), Turkiye

2: Department of Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev and Gentofte, Denmark

3: Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark

4: Department of Geriatrics, Marien Hospital Herne, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.

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Cancer care is changing. Across health systems, there is growing recognition that effective cancer treatment cannot rely on standardized pathways alone.

World Cancer Day reinforces a core message: each person’s experience with cancer is unique, shaped not only by tumour biology, but also by functional status, comorbidities, social circumstances, and personal priorities.

In this context, geriatric oncology is moving from a perceived niche to an essential component of contemporary cancer care.

As populations age worldwide, more people diagnosed with cancer present with complex and heterogeneous health profiles. Chronological age offers little guidance in these situations.

Two individuals of the same age may differ profoundly in terms of functional reserve, cognition, comorbidities, and resilience to treatment.

Geriatric oncology provides structured approaches to recognize this variability and translate it into individualized care.

Crucially, geriatric oncology is not about limiting access to cancer treatment. On the contrary, it supports better decision-making by identifying vulnerabilities that may require targeted interventions, as well as strengths that justify active and potentially intensive treatment.

When integrated into routine oncology practice, geriatric assessment helps anticipate risks, guide supportive care, and align treatment plans with what matters most to the individual.

Bringing geriatric oncology into routine care also requires strong multidisciplinary collaboration. High-quality cancer care increasingly depends on close cooperation between oncology, geriatrics, nursing, rehabilitation, nutrition, and social care.

This collaborative approach allows teams to move beyond tumour-focused decisions and address the broader determinants of outcomes and quality of life.

From an ECGI perspective, geriatric oncology also represents a key educational opportunity. Early-career clinicians are well-positioned to challenge age-based assumptions, promote holistic assessment, and embed person-centred principles into everyday practice.

On World Cancer Day, the call for patient-centred cancer care aligns closely with the core principles of geriatric oncology.

As health systems respond to increasingly complex patient populations, geriatric oncology should no longer be viewed as an add-on, but as an integral component of high-quality cancer care.