Elderly and Cancer: A comment
People over 75 account for over one-third of the diagnosed cases of cancer, yet this group is less extensively investigated and receive less treatment than younger patients do. It is known that 75-year old women and 75 year old men have life expectancies of 11.2 years and 8.5 years respectively. How are we to explain the reduced level of intervention when appropriate adjustments are made for comorbidity (existence of another disease) or frailty? Some elderly people can tolerate chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy just as well as younger patients. Cannot regimens and protocols be modified for less fit patients?
Harold Rubin, MS, ABD, CRC, Guest Lecturer
August 17, 1999
To e-mail: RehabStrat@aol.com or rubin@brainlink.com