Management of hematologic malignancies in the elderly: 15-year experience at the Aviano Cancer Center, Italy.

The optimal management of hemopoietic malignancies in the elderly requires specific strategies targeted at the peculiar clinico-biologic features of such patients. In the time frame spanning from 1983 to 1998, several clinical trials have been performed at the Aviano Cancer Center, Italy, aimed at extending the knowledge of natural history of hemopoietic malignancies in the elderly and evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of different chemotherapy programs specifically devised for older subjects affected by acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplasia, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, or multiple myeloma. Here the most relevant results are summarized and information stemmed from such studies. The present report rather than provide a comprehensive review on hematologic neoplasms in the elderly, mainly reflects the 'philosophy' deriving from 15 years of studies of the group in the field of geriatric oncology/hematology. Elaboration of a 'consensus' view will represent the challenge for all the investigators involved in such an important field of research.