老人腫瘤學：老年腫瘤病患的臨床評估
Geriatric Oncology
李欣慈;詹惠雅;周桂如 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。 Abstract
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.
