Bridging the care gap: radiation therapy in elderly and frail cancer patients.

Purpose of review: This review aims to address the gap in radiation therapy (RT) care for elderly cancer patients. It will discuss the barriers to implementing effective RT in elderly and frail patients with a focus on breast cancer and metastatic settings.

Recent findings: Recent studies indicate that SBRT provides better pain control for bone metastases compared to cEBRT, but elderly patients are underrepresented in these trials. Evidence on the effectiveness of geriatric assessment tools in predicting RT tolerance and toxicity is mixed, with some studies showing a correlation while others do not. Comprehensive geriatric assessments, though promising, are often impractical due to time and resource constraints.

Summary: There is a critical need for more inclusive research to better understand the risks and benefits of RT in elderly patients. Developing streamlined geriatric assessment tools and integrating them into clinical practice can enhance treatment personalization. Future studies should prioritize elderly populations to generate robust data, thereby improving RT outcomes and quality of life for this growing patient group.