1980–1995, Villejeuf: Claud Jasmin, MD, advocates for the elimination of chronologic age from the eligibility criteria for clinical trials of cancer treatment. In 1995, Dr. Jasmin published a book entitled La Planète Blanche [The White Planet], where he foresaw challenges in a world crowded with older individuals.

1995, Lyon: Jean-Pierre Droz, MD, Chief of Medical Oncology at the Léon-Bérard Cancer Center in Lyon, inaugurated a geriatric oncology program that involved the cooperation of oncologists and geriatricians. He asked to be trained in basic geriatric care by Philippe -Courpron, MD, and Gilles Albrand, MD, two prominent geriatricians from Lyon University Hospital. Drs. -Courpron and Albrand eventually joined the novel geriatric oncology program as leaders. He co-opted two young oncologists—Sylvie Zanella, MD, and -Catherine Terret, MD—in his initial effort. Dr. Terret and Dr. -Albrand now codirect the program. Dr. Terret also assisted in the foundation of geriatric oncology programs in other countries including Canada and Australia.

2000, Bordeaux: Pierre Soubeyran, MD, a hematologist-oncologist, and Muriel Rainfray, MD, Chief of the Geriatric Department at the University Hospital in Bordeaux, joined forces with a twofold aim: to provide combined consultations in the management of older patients at the University Hospital and to promote clinical trials of cancer treatment in older patients in the region of Bordeaux.

2002, Marseille: The late Anne Chantal Braud, MD, a medical oncologist at Institut Paoli-Calmettes in Marseille, and François Pein, MD, a medical oncologist at Institut Gustave-Roussy in Villejeuf, founded the GERICO group, a national cooperative group dedicated to clinical research in oncogeriatrics for tumor-oriented trials. This novel effort occurred under the auspices of UNICANCER, a French network of comprehensive cancer centers. GERICO represented the first national cooperative effort to conduct clinical trials in older patients; its importance cannot be overstated.

2002–Present: The French government mandates that any hospital in France with an emergency room must include a mobile team of intervention for geriatric emergencies, a service of short hospitalization, a service of rehabilitation, and a service of long hospitalizations.

2004, Paris: Dr. Droz and Dr. Courpron contacted -Dominique Maraninchi, MD, PhD, then-Chair of the French National Cancer Institute, and Chair of the 2003–2008 Cancer Control Plan within the Institut National du Cancer (INCa)—the French National Cancer Institute—to advocate for a national geriatric oncology program. This proposal found an enthusiastic welcome by France’s then-President Valery Giscard and led to the organization of the Geriatric Oncology Board inside the French National Cancer Institute. Dr. Maraninchi then established the Geriatric Oncology Advisory Board and launched a request for proposals in geriatric oncology.

2005, Paris: The French National Cancer Institute funds 15 pilot UCOGs—regional coordination units for geriatric oncology—in different regions of France. The success of this experiment led to a diffusion of these units to the whole country in 2011.

2007–2010, Paris: In July 2007, the French National Cancer Institute launched a call for projects to validate a geriatric screening tool in oncology. A multicenter study was conducted between August 2008 and March 2010. The results validated the use of the G8 questionnaire as a tool for geriatric screening of any elderly patient with cancer before treatment in France.Professionals welcomed the chance to share their expertise in the management of older patients with cancer, and the benefits to patients in terms of outcome became evident after a few years.

2010: The Société Francophone d’Onco-Gériatrie (SoFOG)—the French Society of Geriatric Oncology—is organized, a scientific society dedicated to the management of older patients with cancer.

2013: The Research Commission established within SoFOG brought together the various UCOG units for multiorgan clinical trials.

2014: Etienne Brain, MD, a medical oncologist at the Institute Curie of Paris, founded the Intergrop Dialogue for the Personalisation of OncoGeriatric Care (DIALOG Intergroup). The group brought together the efforts of the GERICO group and of the network of research cooperation units of geriatric oncology hosted by SoFOG. In 2017, the French National Cancer Institute endorsed this cooperation within the DIALOG. Dr. Brain was Chairman of the GERICO group and later would become 2014–2016 President of the International Society for Geriatric Oncology (SIOG).

2014–2019: In the meantime, inspired by the organizations spawned from the French National Cancer Institute Geriatric Oncology Plans and from the success of GERICO, UCOGs, and DIALOG, committees for the study of older patients were developed within the gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and lung cancer study groups.