With rising age the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), together with the fact that the proportion of people older than 65 years in Western populations will double during the next 40 years, poses the challenge to adequately meet the needs of elderly patients. After a general introduction on cancer in the elderly, a review is given concerning aspects of epidemiology and prognostic factors of NHL. Therapeutic strategies, including the use of hematopoietic growth factors, for the elderly with aggressive NHL are discussed. The future role for so-called comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to appropriately determine treatment possibilities is emphasized. Much scientific work has to be performed before the true value of CGA instruments can be acknowledged. Screening instruments are discussed and the role for specially trained oncology nurses in the assessment process is stipulated.