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Revised! Cancer and the Older Adult

2.0 Continuing Education Credit Hours

Category: 300 Advanced Concepts

The American Cancer Society indicates that there are more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer diagnoses expected in 2012; and almost three quarters of these newly diagnosed cases of cancer in the US are in persons 55 years old and older. This module will explore how life expectancy, functional status and comorbidity determine treatment in the older person with a cancer diagnosis, and how cancer behaves differently in older people.

 

Author

Janine Overcash, PhD, GNP-BC

Janine Overcash is a Professor of Clinical Nursing and the Co-Director of Co-Director of the Academy for Teaching Innovation, Excellence, and Scholarship. Dr. Overcash is also a nurse practitioner in the Senior Adult Oncology Program at the James Cancer Hospital Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Cancer Center specializing in the care of the older person.  Dr. Overcash is recognized as a Fellow in the National Academy of Practice, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Academy of Nurses. Dr. Overcash, along with Dr. Lodovico Balducci, assisted in the design and management of one of the first geriatric oncology programs located at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida.  Dr. Overcash has authored over fifty peer-reviewed journal articles in the area of geriatric assessment. Dr. Overcash's research interests include understanding falls, performance status, and independence in older cancer patients. Dr. Overcash speaks nationally and internationally on aspects of geriatric assessment and care of the older person diagnosed with cancer.

Objectives

  1. Describe why cancer behaves differently in older adults.
  2. Learn what determines treatment in the older cancer patient.
  3. Understand why cancer is a disease of aging.
  4. Learn what assessment instruments enhance oncology care for the older patient.

Register to Buy

Online Module

When completing the on-line module you will be presented with learning objectives, brief cases, questions for reflection (not scored), and interactive lessons with hyperlinks to engage you along the way. Once you complete the lessons, you will be presented with the Post Test (which requires a score of 100%) and then the Module Evaluation, followed by the opportunity to print your Continuing Education Certificate. Modules remain available for your future reference once you have completed them.