As the average age of our population increases, the treatment of cancer in the elderly is becoming an increasing concern. Prof Robin Foà explains how patients' suitability for treatments should be decided according to their physiological status as opposed to their age and talks about ecancer’s upcoming meeting on the treatment of haematological cancer in the elderly. This meeting, to be held 18-20th March 2011 in Rome, will help inform clinicians of ways to tailor treatments to the specific requirements of elderly patients such as the use of TKIs in place of highly toxic chemotherapies.