Cancer, ageing, multimorbidity and primary care

The management of patients with cancer and multimorbidity is challenging and complex. This commentary from PC4 members Danielle Mazza and Geoffrey Mitchell discusses these challenges in effectively taking on this emerging area of research. Barriers such as understanding the interaction between pre-existing physical capacity, multiple medical conditions and ageing which can delay diagnosis, impact on treatments, complicate survivor care, and impact on decisions about starting and ceasing treatments. Even though general practitioners (GPs) manage multimorbidity routinely, currently the GP role in comprehensive cancer care is limited. The authors believe it is important that GPs have a major role in end of life care and that the integration of general practice and oncology improve patient care.   Read the full article here.