DELIRIUM IN THE OLDER PERSON WITH CANCER

Delirium occurs in 25-40% of patients with cancer and in as many as 85 % of patients with advanced cancer. Delirium, or acute confusion, can be short term and reversible and differs from dementia, which is chron ic and irreversible. Accurate assessment is critical for effective tre atment and to reduce the increased mortality associated with delirium. Assessment for differentiating depression as well as dementia is need ed, because mistaken diagnoses often prolong and exacerbate the sympto ms of delirium. Different treatment strategies are appropriate dependi ng on the cause(s) of confusion. In this article, risk factors and ass essment tools are reviewed, and interventions for delirium in older pe rsons with cancer are presented. Future areas for research are identif ied, because there is a paucity of research on delirium in older patie nts with cancer.