Khoury, E.G. orcid.org/0000-0003-2559-2762, Nuamek, T., Heritage, S. et al. (11 more authors) (2023) Geriatric Oncology as an Unmet Workforce Training Need in the United Kingdom—A Narrative Review by the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) UK Country Group. Cancers, 15 (19). 4782. ISSN 2072-6694
Abstract
Simple Summary
People are more likely to develop cancer as they become older, and as people live longer, the number of older adults with cancer is steadily increasing. Managing cancer in older adults is challenging because they often have long-term conditions and wider needs that complicate treatment decisions and outcomes. However, the care of older adults with cancer is not formally taught during undergraduate medical education or postgraduate training in the United Kingdom. In this review, we provide an overview of the current education that medical students and training trainee doctors receive to prepare them for caring for older adults with cancer and highlight where challenges exist. We summarise the research conducted and strategies implemented internationally and use this knowledge to provide recommendations which may improve the education and training of doctors to meet the needs of older adults with cancer.
Abstract
Cancer is a disease associated with ageing. Managing cancer in older adults may prove challenging owing to pre-existing frailty, comorbidity, and wider holistic needs, as well as the unclear benefits and harms of standard treatment options. With the ongoing advances in oncology and the increasing complexity of treating older adults with cancer, the geriatric oncology field must be a priority for healthcare systems in education, research, and clinical practice. However, geriatric oncology is currently not formally taught in undergraduate education or postgraduate training programmes in the United Kingdom (UK). In this commentary, we outline the landscape of geriatric oncology undergraduate education and postgraduate training for UK doctors. We highlight current challenges and opportunities and provide practical recommendations for better preparing the medical workforce to meet the needs of the growing population of older adults with cancer. This includes key outcomes to be considered for inclusion within undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). |
Keywords: | geriatric oncology; medical education; undergraduate; postgraduate; workforce planning |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Medicine (Leeds) > Leeds Institute of Medical Research (LIMR) > Division of Oncology |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number NIHR National Inst Health Research NIHR302560 Wellcome Trust 219420/Z/19/Z |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Nov 2023 10:21 |
Last Modified: | 15 Nov 2023 10:21 |
Published Version: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/19/4782 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/cancers15194782 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:205289 |