Jan Geissler speaks about the upcoming ecancer meeting on haematological cancers in the elderly which will be held in Rome, 18-20th March 2011. This meeting will tackle issues such as the inclusion of elderly patients in clinical trials, the effects of comorbidities and the type of therapies that are appropriate for older cancer patients. The meeting will also help inform clinicians of problems associated with informed consent and patient quality of life and give the patients themselves an opportunity to express their views.