Pathways to Prevention (P2P) Program

Grant Williams, M.D., M.S.P.H.

Grant Williams, M.D., M.S.P.H.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Presentation Abstract

Malnutrition in the Older Adult with Cancer

Cancer is predominantly a disease of aging and the vast majority of cancer diagnoses and deaths occur in older adults (≥65). The management of cancer in older adults is complicated by the heterogenous aging process and the frequent co-occurrence of other medical conditions and aging-related vulnerabilities. Malnutrition is common amongst many older adult cancer populations and can have additional repercussions in vulnerable populations. This presentation will discuss the prevalence and potential consequences of malnutrition in older adult populations and implications for nutritional interventions.

About Dr. Williams

Dr. Grant Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Gerontology, Geriatrics, & Palliative Care and the Director of the Cancer & Aging Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. As both a Geriatrician and a Medical Oncologist, his research bridges the fields of aging and cancer and is focused on refining treatment selection and improving the outcomes of older adults with cancer. His research involves the use of geriatric assessment and novel biomarkers, such as body composition and molecular markers of aging, to better evaluate functional age and developing interventional clinical trials to improve the tolerance and outcomes of older adults undergoing cancer treatment. One of his particular research interests is the role of sarcopenia in understanding inter-individual variability in treatment tolerability and how body composition metrics can be utilized to improve cancer outcomes for vulnerable older adults. Clinically, he cares for adults with gastrointestinal malignancies and specializes in older adults with colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

Dr. Williams’ research has been supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation as a research scholar in geriatric medicine, the Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (K12), the Walter B. Frommeyer, Jr. Fellowship in Investigative Medicine, an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant, and Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award from the National Cancer Institute (K08). He is the current chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Addressing Disparities Among Older Adults Task Force and is regularly engaged in the Cancer Aging Research Group (co-chair of the measures committee), the Cancer in the Older Adult Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and the Older Adults Oncology guideline panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He has authored or co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed journal publications, proceedings, and book chapters.

Dr. Williams did not disclose any conflicts of interest for this workshop.

« Back to Workshop Agenda

Last updated on