Geri Care launches India's first Dedicated Geriatric Oncology Centre, a first-of-its-kind approach to cancer care for senior citizens

Geri Care, India`s pioneer in integrated eldercare, today announced the launch of its dedicated Geriatric Oncology Centre, a first-of-its-kind centre built exclusively around the cancer care needs of senior citizens. The centre, anchored at Geri Care`s Adambakkam facility with teams available across its facilities in T Nagar and Adyar, marks a significant step in the organisation`s mission to deliver age-appropriate healthcare for older adults. 

Cancer care for the elderly is not a single specialty. It is an expansive discipline that spans oncology and geriatric medicine, and extends well beyond treatment into nutrition, pain and palliative care, preventive screening, mental health and caregiver support. Most oncology models address these needs in fragments, across multiple hospitals and specialists. Geri Care’s Geriatric Oncology Centre brings this entire spectrum together under one roof, delivered by a single multidisciplinary team. 

The team comprises specialists across medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology, working alongside geriatricians who understand the physiology of ageing. Supporting them is a dedicated ecosystem of a psycho-oncologist, nutritionist, psychiatrist, pain and palliative care specialists and a trained geriatric nursing team. The centre also offers preventive cancer screening for older adults and structured counselling for family caregivers, recognising that a cancer diagnosis affects the entire family, not just the patient. 

India`s rapidly ageing population is expected to significantly reshape the country`s healthcare landscape, particularly in cancer care. According to a Science Direct report,adults aged 60 years and above are projected to account for over 20% of India`s total population by 2050, up from 8.6% in 2011. As life expectancy increases, population ageing alone is expected to more than double the country`scancer burden by 2050, underscoring the need for care models built around the medical, functional and psychosocial needs of older adults living with cancer. 

Dr. Lakshmipathy Ramesh, Founder and Managing Director, Geri Care, said, “Cancer in older adults cannot be managed the way it is in younger patients. Every treatment decision must account for the elder`s overall health, existing medical conditions, functional independence and quality of life. Geriatric oncology is a far wider discipline than oncology alone, and until now, no centre in India has offered it in its entirety. With the Geriatric Oncology Centre, we are pleased to bring together the complete spectrum of cancer care for senior citizens, from screening and diagnosis through treatment, nutrition, palliative support and caregiver counselling, under one multidisciplinary team.” 

Treating cancer in senior citizens requires a clinical approach that accounts for age-related physiological changes, multiple co-existing illnesses, frailty, cognitive health, nutritional status and quality of life. Conventional oncology models are rarely designed for these complexities. Geri Care`s centre addresses them by design, drawing on the organisation`s foundation as the operator of India`s first multi-specialty h hospitals exclusively for senior citizens, located at Adambakkam, T. Nagar and Adyar. 

Dr. Rejiv Rajendranath, Lead- Geriatric Oncology at Geri Care, said, “Older adults living with cancer need coordinated care that goes beyond treating the disease alone. By bringing specialists across medical, surgical and radiation oncology together with psycho-oncology, nutrition, psychiatry, palliative care and geriatric nursing, we make every treatment decision collaboratively and tailor care to each elderly patient. Just as importantly, we support the families and caregivers who walk this journey with them.” 

The launch of the Geriatric Oncology Centre strengthens Geri Care`s vision of building a complete healthcare ecosystem for India`s ageing population. It follows the recent launch of Coimbatore`s first geriatrician-led Skilled Nursing Facility and Long-term Care Hospital, as the organisation continues to expand specialised, integrated and patient-centric services for older adults.