There's No One-Size-Fits-All for Treating Older Adults with Cancer, According to New NCCN Patient Resource

New guideline for patients and caregivers explains the importance of assessments to tailor cancer care to every person, regardless of age.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—is publishing a new resource to help patients and caregivers understand how to tailor cancer care for aging populations.

"The medical advances we've seen in cardiology and infectious disease are a huge triumph; because we are better at treating infections and heart disease, people are living longer, which means they are facing cancer in later years. We are seeing more and more people being treated for cancer at an advanced age," explained Efrat Dotan, MD, Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Chair, NCCN Guidelines Panel for Older Adult Oncology. "We need to carefully assess any patient over 65, because there can be a huge range in areas such as memory function, physical ability, or treatment interactions with other medications and conditions. This resource explains what support is needed and suggests how to talk to your doctor about it."

The new NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® for Older Adults With Cancer, are developed from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) for the same topic, which are the trusted treatment recommendations relied on by professional healthcare providers around the world.

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are available for free at NCCN.org/patientguidelines or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App. Printed copies are available for a nominal fee at Amazon. They are made possible thanks to funding from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation (NCCNF). Visit NCCNFoundation.org to make a difference in how people experience cancer care.

"Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a hard blow, and it can be very isolating at any age, but especially for older adults who need support and validation they can't get very easily. I hope these guidelines can be a helping hand that takes away some of those lonely feelings," said Glenn Sykes, Patient Advocate, NCCN Guidelines^® Panel for Older Adult Oncology. "Even though I had my own cancer experience 8 years prior… caring for my mother—who was diagnosed with cancer at 95—presented me with many unique issues. For example: explaining treatment to someone with dementia. Having these guidelines would have been a tremendous support, and it's my hope that they are helpful for anyone who finds themself in a similar situation."

"The more informed a person can be, the better care they're going receive, because they're going to ask better questions," said Louise C. Walter, MD, UCSF Chief of Geriatrics, Member of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Vice-Chair, NCCN Guidelines Panel for Older Adult Oncology. "We all age differently. People should really be talking with their doctor about what makes sense for them as an individual, with their specific health situations, and come up with the best plan that's not based on chronologic age, but on what's most important to them."

Dr. Walter continued: "These patient guidelines help explain how to determine the right treatment for the right person based on their unique situation and preferences."

Both the clinical and patient version of the guidelines include easy-to-understand information about which assessment tools are available and how they should be used to help make decisions. They flag ways to support people with cognition issues, or at higher risk for falls. They are geared toward anyone diagnosed with cancer over the age of 65 but could be relevant for younger patients with additional medical concerns. While the likelihood of side effects and comorbidities increase with age, the guidelines stress there is a wide range of mental and physical fitness that people can experience well into their 80s, 90s, and beyond.

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are updated every year in both English and Spanish. The award-winning series includes more than 75 resources covering nearly every type of cancer, plus prevention, screening, and supportive care topics like survivorship, fatigue, and distress management. They use plain language and images so everybody can play an informed, active role in making treatment decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the NCCN Guidelines for Patients?

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are an award-winning library of free resources explaining the latest evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. They are based on the NCCN Guidelines, which are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. Health care providers worldwide rely on NCCN Guidelines to stay current on the latest in care, to improve outcomes for people with cancer everywhere.

Where can people access the new NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Older Adults with Cancer?

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients for Older Adults with Cancer are available for free at NCCN.org/patientguidelines or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App. They are made possible through funding from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation (NCCNF).

How should people use the NCCN Guidelines for Patients?

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients offer comfort and clarity outside of the doctor's office. The patient guidelines feature easy-to-understand language, pictures, a glossary of terms, and suggested questions to ask the doctor. They provide step-by-step information and guidance to help patients and caregivers understand their cancer journey and make informed treatment decisions. Learn more at NCCN.org/patientguidelines.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation (NCCNF). NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation (NCCNF)
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation helps people across the globe to access free, translated, and easy-to-follow guidelines that help them understand their cancer diagnosis and treatment, talk confidently with their care teams, and make informed decisions. NCCNF also supports the next generation of researchers driving the way forward. Donations to NCCNF don't just fund the future of cancer care, they change how people experience care today. Learn more and help make the mission possible at NCCNFoundation.org.

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Rachel Darwin
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