Improving care for older adults with hematological malignancies in India: Conquering the challenge.

ABSTRACT

In India, the number of older adults is steadily increasing and expected to reach around 200 million by 2030. Along with demographic change, India is experiencing a shift in family structure from multi-generational to nuclear families, affecting the social and psychological support available to older adults. The majority of hematological malignancies are diagnosed after the age of 60 years. Multiple issues associated with ageing, denoted as geriatric impairments, adversely affect the care of patients with cancer. Geriatric assessment and management is conspicuously underutilized and missing from the medical education curriculum in developing countries including India. Geriatric assessments may provide valuable information for the care of older adults with hematological malignancies, but incorporating geriatrics into the care of older patients with cancer in India will require knowledge of different approaches and consideration of the local healthcare context. In this article we will discuss the distinctive considerations in caring for older adults with hematological malignancies in India and to examine the unmet needs, challenges, and opportunities in improving the care of this population in the Indian context.