About the Geriatric Oncology Program at HUMC

Welcome to the Geriatric Oncology Program at the Cancer Center of Hackensack University Medical Center. The Program provides optimal cancer care for senior adults aged 70 and older, and helps patients overcome the special challenges this population faces in battling the disease.

Just as a child would see a pediatrician for medical care, an older patient should go to a geriatrician. And an older patient with cancer will benefit from the combined expertise of the Geriatric Oncology Program’s physician experts. Older patients have unique needs because of their often complex medical histories, numerous drugs they are taking, their social situations, possible problems with cognitive dysfunction related to age, and general diminution of organ function that occurs naturally in the older population. An expert in geriatrics, working in conjunction with a medical oncologist sensitive to these problems, can decide on the appropriate treatment for any elderly cancer patient.

All new patients meet with a medical oncologist, a geriatrician, a psychosocial professional, and a nutritionist, all of whom work together to provide a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s fitness to withstand the therapy necessary to treat his or her cancer. Patients spend approximately three hours with the Geriatric Oncology Program team. Following the initial assessment, the team meets to evaluate the patient’s fitness for therapy.

The team’s decisions and recommendations are then presented to the patient and his or her family as well as to the patient’s primary physician when appropriate. After these discussions, treatment for the patient’s cancer is initiated.

The Geriatric Oncology Program is the first such center designed for senior cancer patients in the New York metropolitan area, meeting a need which is anticipated to grow dramatically in the coming years.

The Geriatric Oncology Program is located in the Hackensack University Medical Plaza, Suite 400, 20 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack. Equipment and furnishings promote comfort and address limited mobility and other assistive needs of older persons. Multi-lingual staff are available to explain the program and gather medical and social histories from patients.  For more information, or to set up an appointment please contact us at (201) 336-8404, or send an email via our website CONTACT form

• What to Expect as a Patient or Caregiver

• The Unique Advantages of Our Program

• The Geriatric Assessment

• Our Physicians and Staff

• Directions to our Location