老人腫瘤學：老年腫瘤病患的臨床評估

Geriatric Oncology: A Clinical Assessment to the Elderly with Cancer

李欣慈(Hsin-Tzu Lee) ； 詹惠雅(Hui-Ya Chan) ； 周桂如(Kuei-Ru Chou)

《腫瘤護理雜誌》 3卷2期 (2004/06) Pp. 29-37

https://doi.org/10.6880/TJON.200406_3(2).03

摘要

由於癌症發生率的上升和人體的老化有著密切的關係，因此，隨著人口年齡的老化，癌症在老年人之間就成為一個越來越普遍的問題。學者Balducci (2000)就指出所有的癌症中，約有50%都發生在65歲和大於65歲的老年人口，甚至於到了2020年，約有60%的癌症會影響老年人。在台灣地區，癌症的發生率和死亡率的上升也成為醫療健康的重要問題。根據衛生署公佈的台灣地區主要十大死因(2002)的統計數字，可發現癌症自民國65年至今一直是高居國內十大死因首位，而就十大死因年齡結構的統計資料(2002)來看，更可發現台灣地區罹患癌症的人口於三個年齡層攀升的速度最快，依次是：1)大於85歲以上人口；2)70到74歲之間的人口；及3)65到69歲人口。隨著全球人口年齡的快速老化，如何提供給老人癌症的患者一個適當且完整的醫療照護將會在未來成一個非常重要的議題。本篇文章的目的就是要強調，適當的癌症治療唯有透過之前一個完整且針對老年人的老年臨床評估方式，才能提供罹患癌症的老人完善的治療及後續照顧。

關鍵字

老人腫瘤學 ； 臨床評估 ； 老人癌症

並列摘要

The increasing cancer incidence with aging becomes more and more important as the life expectancy extends. Balducci (2000) indicated that 50% of all cancer occur in the person whose age is 65 years and older; by the year of 2020, 60% of all cancer will be affecting the elderly. The increasing incidence and death rate of cancer also become a major health issue in Taiwan. According to the report from Department of Health, cancer has been the first killer among ten leading caused of death in Taiwan since 1976 (2002). From the ten leading causes of death by age, the increases in incidence and death rate of cancer raise most quickly among three major populations :1) older than 85 years; 2) between 70 to 74 years; and 3) between 65 to 69 years. With the aging of the population, cancer in the elderly will become an increasing common problem in the whole world. To provide a complete and appropriate treatment to the elderly with cancer will be the most important issue in the future. The purpose of this article is to emphasize that an appropriate treatment for cancer patients can be given only after the elderly has been appropriately assessed for his or her health level by using a geriatric approach.

並列關鍵字

geriatric oncology ； clinical assessment ； cancer in the elderly