Ageing tops cancer risk: a call to rethink cancer care for older adults

Ageing is identified as the leading, unavoidable risk factor for cancer, prompting a rethink of cancer care for older adults. The Conversation piece argues that all older patients should receive geriatric assessments before treatment, notes Canada’s shortage of specialised geriatric oncology clinics (with British Columbia scarcely served), and cites cost savings from such clinics. Barriers include a high demand for geriatricians, inertia within oncology care models, and ageism. The authors advocate targeted, patient‑centred care models (including nurse-led approaches) to improve quality of life and public health costs as Canada’s population ages.