Dementia is a decline in cognitive function or a loss in behavioral ability that can interfere with a person's daily life and primarily affects older people. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that the number of people who have dementia will triple by 2050, to approximately 115 million people worldwide. The United States Census Bureau also projects that the population of people aged 65 years and older will nearly double by 2060, to 98.2 million people. Add to these statistics the National Cancer Institute's assessment that cancer occurs in 50 of individuals older than 66 years, and radiation therapists easily can deduce that older oncology patients who present for radiation treatment might exhibit symptoms of dementia.
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