Radiotherapy for the elderly cancer patients

Japanese society is faced with many problems, since it becomes a super-aging society which has not been experienced. In a medical field, cancer control program for elderly people is an important problem. Especially, medical treatment of elderly cancer patients with dementia is a serious problem. Radiation therapy, becoming minimally invasive cancer treatment by progress of technology, is an excellent therapy for elderly cancer patients with various complications. The number of elderly cancer patients is rapidly increasing, however the organization of radiation therapy is insufficient for treating them. We describe the subject and future of radiation therapy by analyzing the present organization. (author)