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The clinical management of the oncological elderly patient represents one of the most important challenges for today's oncology and, above all, for the future. The number of elderly patients with neoplastic pathologies is destined to increase proportionally to the duration of life and therefore a correct management of their conditions becomes an element of priority from the scientific and economic point of view. Close relationships and collaborations between Oncologist and Geriatrics are definitely desirable to be able to guarantee the best way for a good treatment (specific and of support) of these elderly patients. The components of the AIOM Working Group on Oncogeriatry have gathered their individual competences in the two sectors of specific interest, representing an important form of real cohesion among specialistic disciplines which, after only eight months of activity, has already started to give the first good outcomes.

Myelotoxicity is the most common complication of cancer chemotherapy. A brief review of hematopoiesis is necessary to understand the mechanisms of myelotoxicity and the treatment strategies that may minimize this complication in elderly patients. From this review of hematopoiesis and age, we may draw three conclusions: aging is associated with a progressive reduction in hematopoietic reserve; by itself, the decline in hematopoietic reserve does not produce abnormalities of the circulating blood, these may occur as a consequence of hematopoietic stress; hematopoietic growth factors are effective in promoting granulopoiesis and erythropoiesis in older individuals. Alternative strategies include reduction of chemotherapy doses, the use of prophylactic oral antibiotics and antifungal agents for the prevention of neutropenic infections, and blood transfusions for the management of anemia.