Published:
February 8, 2022
In 2015, at the age of 90, former President Jimmy Carter made the decision to battle cancer. His decision generated discussion about an older person’s ability to physically, emotionally and mentally withstand the demands and discomforts of cancer treatment. Could it be worse than the cancer itself?
Despite the prevalence of cancer in the elderly, with most cancers diagnosed in patients over age 50, treatment studies rarely include people older than 70. This has made finding the optimal treatment strategy for these patients challenging.
Chronological Age Isn't Everything
Chronological age alone is just one of many factors to consider. The physician must assess the patient’s overall health, including medications or chronic health problems unrelated to cancer, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, which could inhibit the patient’s response to cancer treatment.
What is more revealing is the patient’s “physiologic age.” How well an individual functions in every day life and can tolerate the stresses of cancer treatment, whether younger or older, becomes more important than the year they were born.
New Cancer Therapies Enhance Treatment Options
New cancer therapies, such as targeted immune-therapies, may be better tolerated in the elderly than traditional chemotherapy. President Carter, for example, took the then relatively new drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immune-system-boosting therapy for his metastatic melanoma. Compared to similar drugs, it has relatively few side effects and has made tumors disappear in some patients. Carter was successfully treated and remains cancer-free today.
The key with every patient, regardless of age, is the importance of ongoing discussions between the patient and their physician.
Ask your doctor these questions:
- What are the goals of cancer treatment?
- What are the risks and benefits?
- What is the life expectancy?
- What other medical problems affect eligibility for treatment?
It is important for the patient and family to have this honest discussion with their physician about treatment options based on the patient’s needs and goals, as well as their expectations for a quality of life. The Cancer Care Team at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute works closely with physicians to provide patients and their families with the comprehensive support they need before, during and after treatment.