Implementation of geriatric haematology programmes for the treatment of older people with haematological malignancies in low-resource settings

Abstract

In 2020, about 600 000 people aged 65 years and older were diagnosed with a haematological malignancy worldwide, and this number will increase to almost 1 million by 2040, with the largest growth taking place in regions with less developed economies. Health-care systems globally are ill-prepared to face this impending increase in the burden of haematological malignancies among older people, and geriatric oncology and haematology are not properly developed in most low-income and middle-income countries, as well as in many community settings in high-income countries. Here, we provide an overview of the status of geriatric haematology in resource-limited settings, with a focus on health-care systems, educational activities, availability of resource-stratified guidelines, development of clinical programmes, and ongoing research initiatives. We also provide recommendations for the future development of geriatric haematology globally, focusing on the creation of educational activities for health-care providers, fostering research initiatives, improving the inclusion of principles of geriatric care into everyday clinical practice, and building strong international and local partnerships among organisations. Health-care systems in LMICs and burden of haematological malignanciesNon-communicable disease burden has been growing during the last five decades and, because of demographic

Hematopoietic stem cell aging and leukemia transformation

“…In 2020, blood cancers were diagnosed worldwide in more than 600 000 adults aged ≥65. 1 Although not fully understood, the relationship between aging and the development of blood cancers is partly a consequence of functional decline of the hematopoietic system. Because hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are primarily responsible for sustaining the production of all hematopoietic and immune cells throughout life, understanding how aging affects HSCs is necessary to understand how and why hematopoietic function declines with increase in age.…”