© Oxford University Press 2006.
NEWS |
Geriatric Oncology Aims For Clinical Trials
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When it comes to cancer care, the elderly often get short shrift. Deemed too frail to handle the side effects from many cancer drugs, the elderly are poorly represented in clinical trials. Scarce trial data have left physicians unsure of how to best treat the aged—so to be safe, physicians may undertreat.
The tide has started to shift, however. Studies increasingly challenge the notion that the elderly are too weak to handle traditional therapy. Over the past 5 years, research has shown that many elderly patients can tolerate the same treatment regimens administered to younger patients—but physicians must choose carefully. Some elderly patients sail through cancer treatment, whereas others suffer severely from side effects. "It's not chronological age that determines success," said Ted Trimble, M.D., head of gynecologic cancer therapeutics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. "It's the severity of comorbidities."
But without evidence, selecting patients has
The Age-old Problem
Solution: More Elderly in Trials