Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality after heart disease and the leading cause of death among women ages 40 to 79 and men ages 60 to 79. Within the 65+ age group, the population 85 years and older is projected to double from 4.3 million in 2005 million by 2030. Life expectancy has increased. More people are treated successfully after a cancer diagnosis, resulting in a greater prevalence of the elderly living with or developing cancer. It is important for all professionals dealing with the elderly to understand what the disease is and how to deal with it. (more…)

The largest single risk factor for developing cancer is age. The incidence of cancer increases exponentially with age, although death from cancer (cancer mortality) may decline at very old age. The inevitable age-dependent rise in cancer incidence is a feature of multicellular organisms that contain a substantial fraction of mitotic cells. Organisms such as flies and worms are composed primarily of post-mitotic cells, and hence do not develop cancer. (more…)