Articles

Geriatric oncology in Belgium

BJMO - volume 8, issue 5, december 2014

F. Cornélis MD, R. Moor , P. Cornette MD, PhD, L. Decoster MD, PhD, H. Wildiers MD, PhD

As in other developed countries, the management of older cancer patients has become a major public health concern in Belgium owing to an increasing incidence and to other challenging specificities of this population. Since 2009, the Cancer Plan has played a leading role in the development of geriatric oncology in our country by supporting numerous pilot projects. By the year 2015, a scientific analysis of each of these projects will provide important information to the public authorities and care givers in order to organise the management of older cancer patients in an optimal way in Belgium. In this article, we describe the present landscape of geriatric oncology in Belgium focusing on epidemiological data and pilot projects supported by the Cancer Plan 2009–2011 and 2012–2015.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2014;8(5):206–12)

Read more