Cancer control and the older person. An overview.

Cancer is essentially a disease of older persons, yet the efforts made toward prevention and detection in this age group are seldom as energetic as those expended on younger individuals. It is apparent that age in itself is not a reason for benign neglect of neoplastic disease in older persons. The underlying factors that affect the behavior of cancer in older patients require intensive study. Comprehensive cancer prevention and detection services are economically sound in this age group.