ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Age is the largest risk factor for getting cancer. In fact, 60 percent of cancer patients are over the age of 65. Seventy percent of all cancer deaths occur in people who are 65 plus. For so many of these older patients, age is a main factor when considering treatment options. But one doctor is trying to change the protocol. He wants to throw out the number and consider a person’s health instead. One size does not fit all when it comes to treating cancer patients. Age Discrimination
How old are you and how old do you feel?
William Dale, MD, PhD, Geriatrician at Center for Cancer and Aging, City of Hope says, “Any particular age is far less important than how you feel, how you’re doing, how you’re physically functioning, how you’re mentally functioning.”
Doctors at the City of Hope are working to change how we treat aging cancer patients.
Doctor Dale says, “A 60-year-old could be quite ill, and an 80-year-old could be quite healthy. So, you need some other way to decide from a health perspective how we’re going to treat people.”
Geriatrician William Dale’s team created a multi-dimensional assessment tool that looks at each patient’s physical and functional health.
“What can you do in your daily life? Can you go do the grocery shopping? Can you do the yard work? Can you do the things you need to do around the house.” Ask Doctor Dale.
Also looking at nutrition, sleep and one of the most important things, mental health.
Doctor Dale asks, “So how is your thinking? Your social health.”
The assessment flags each patient’s vulnerabilities, and their treatment is focused on what they need. Results significantly reduced chemotherapy toxicity, helped control blood counts, nausea, sores and pain. They also learned that patients who suffered hearing loss were more at risk.
“You think, wow, that’s weird. Why would hearing impairment be affected? If you think about interacting, there’s a lot of instructions that you have to get when you go to the physician.”
A new approach gives senior patients a longer, healthier life.
Doctor Dale is working to make this the standard of care for cancer patients nationally. He has written guidelines for the American Society for Clinical Oncology and encourages older cancer patients to go online at mycarg.org and print out the assessment for free and talk to their oncologists about it. Age discrimination
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.
Sources:
FIGHTING AGE DISCRIMINATION IN CANCER TREATMENT
REPORT #3044
BACKGROUND: Aging is the largest risk factor that contributes to getting cancer. The median age of those receiving a cancer diagnosis is 66 years old. The damaging of cells is commonly caused by outside factors as well such as cigarette smoke or UV rays. As people age, it allows more time for these cells to damage and a greater chance for the damage to have more of an effect on our bodies. Spotting early symptoms is important when detecting any cancer diagnosis. Listening to your body and pinpointing any off-setting feelings to your doctor will help determine any health condition. Cancer screenings can look for early signs of cancer in people without symptoms.
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-symptoms/why-is-early-diagnosis-important
THE STUDY: Medical Professionals from The City of Hope are working to change the ways in which we treat aging cancer patients. Geriatrician William Dale created multidimensional assessment tools that can assess patients’ physical and functional health. The assessment can target what their weakest points are and where they need help the most during their health journey. The new tools are reported to reduce chemotherapy toxicities, keep blood counts controlled, and reduce nausea and pain. This new treatment option is in the works to become a better method of care for cancer patients. It is predicted to help those aging and more at risk as well as younger cancer patients.
(Source: https://www.cityofhope.org/
NEW REGULATIONS: William Dale, MD, leads the specialized oncology care and research of the elderly clinic at The City Hope hospital. The SOCARE clinic provides physical and mental health services to those patients struggling with the side effects and treatments of cancer. Doctor Dale’s new assessment tool and discoveries are leading the team to news strategies that will target the hurdles that keep older cancer patients out of clinical trials. Even if treatments are designed to care for a condition that affects older patients differently, the team is hopeful that their research will allow older patients a fair chance at the medical help they need. Their research found that clinical cancer trials must only propose questions and methos that apply to all oncologists and primary care providers.
https://www.cityofhope.org/william-dale
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Zen Vuong
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