Samsung Medical Center said Tuesday it will introduce "CCCS (Comprehensive Cancer Care for Senior)," an intensive care model specialized for elderly cancer patients.
CCCS assesses treatment risk based on geriatric oncology when cancer patients aged 70 and older are admitted for surgical treatment, helping them complete treatment more safely and in better health. The center will run a pilot program at the cancer hospital level through the end of this year to establish the necessary infrastructure, and then plans to expand application to all patients aged 70 and older as early as year-end.
Elderly patients scheduled for admission to the cancer hospital are assessed, and those classified as high-risk receive customized medical services through additional consultation and evaluation. The program reviews medications being taken to adjust unnecessary duplications or cases of concern over drug interactions, and measures fall risk to provide intensive care during hospitalization. It measures walking speed to gauge a patient's level of physical function, establishing individualized treatment plans for rapid recovery based on this, and also operates a program to prevent delirium that may occur during hospitalization through cognitive function assessment. Various health-related consultations frequent among elderly patients, including nutritional status checks, pain management, and mental health intervention, are also conducted through CCCS.
As Korea enters a super-aged society with the proportion of the population aged 65 and older exceeding 20%, the number of elderly cancer patients is rising steeply. In fact, among cancer patients who visited Samsung Medical Center's cancer hospital, the proportion of elderly patients aged 65 and older rose from 29% in 2008 to 40% as of 2022, a 1.4-fold increase over 14 years.
"Advanced countries such as the United States and Europe have already developed and are operating specialized treatment and research models for elderly patients," said Kim Hee-cheol, director of Samsung Medical Center's cancer hospital and a professor of colorectal surgery. "As our country has entered a super-aged society, we will take the lead in creating a new medical culture for elderly cancer patients."
