Cancer in old age hits like a double whammy. While navigating the natural challenges of aging, one has to fight the disease too. For many elderly people, a diagnosis brings up questions about treatment tolerance, quality of life, and independence.
As per a study published in Science Direct Prevalence and types of cancer in older Indians: A multicentric observational study across 17 institutions in India, “Over one-third of Indian patients with cancer are aged 60 years and above, with a male predominance. Head and neck, breast, and genitourinary cancers are the most prevalent in this age group.” Aging is considered the biggest risk of cancer.
“Cancer generally happens in older age group because as you grow older, you accumulate more mutations. All the cancers that we know of, barring the very exclusive pediatric cancer, happen in older age group. The most common age is 50 and beyond, at least in the West, but in our country, whatever cancers we see in geriatric age group (65 years) in the Western world, we see a decade earlier. So 50 and above is the most common age group in our country,” says, Dr Niti Raizada, Principal Director, Medical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru.
Winning Against Cancer
Most older adults show remarkable resilience when dealing with cancer. The advancements in medicine, supportive care and early detection have also changed its perception of being a life-limiting illness. Many elderly people see it as a condition that can be lived with and overcome. They often apply their life’s learnings, patience and emotional maturity to traverse the path of cancer treatment.
In 2018, 61-year-old politician and actor Nafisa Ali was diagnosed with stage 3 peritoneal cancer (A rare cancer in which a thin layer of tissue lines the abdomen). A few rounds of chemotherapy were followed by a major surgery in 2019. Not only did she beat the cancer, Ali also seized the opportunity to advocate for early diagnosis and detection of cancer, especially among women. While she suffered from an aggressive cancer which was misdiagnosed first, she said, she was able to overcome due to “the love and support she received from her family.” In one of her interviews, she revealed that she actively chose to fight the illness and wanted a “fighting chance”.
In 2021, the 64-year-old actor announced on social media that she is reading scripts and preparing to face the camera once again. She wrote on her Instagram page, “Reading a film script after ages …off to Mumbai to act after years with my cancer in remission. I am so looking forward to a creative medium.”
Resilience at Any Age
Such stories are a reminder that while age may slow the body, it doesn’t affect the spirit.
“Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) you went above and beyond your routine expectation to serve the cancer community through his diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr. Sewanti Limaye from Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, who treated the senior actor for stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. Dutt was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2020. Dutt’s sister Priya Dutt in an interview revealed that her brother’s disciplined fitness routine and positive mindset played a big role in recovery. Dr. Limaye has also called him one of her most disciplined patients.
Late actor Irrfan Khan who was detected with Neuroendocrine cancer at the age of 52 said, that if he gets to live a long and healthy life, he would like to dedicate his life’s second innings to his wife Sutapa Sikdar. While he was battling cancer, Khan during an interview mentioned that his fondest memory about his illness is that he got to see his children evolve as individuals. Khan, counted among one of India’s finest actors, passed away at the age of 53 due to a cancer-related complication.
The Power of Positivity
Knowing acceptance is the key, many of them move on quickly to decide the future course of action – holistic care in conjunction with allopathic cancer treatment or allopathic alone. Nafisa Ali shared during one of her interviews that the treatment was difficult than the illness itself; she surrendered everything to God. “I don’t fight anything; the Lord fights for me,” she said.
Dr Raizada says that comorbidities among the elderly make cancer treatment tough. “Often, they will be on polypharmacy. There are certain cancers that are related to diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. There are certain cancers that actually inherently are associated with them, but they are also worse. Cancer management is difficult if your overall fitness is compromised, if one’s diabetic status is not under control, if someone has an existing peripheral neuropathy or cardiac condition, or so on.”
Deliberate and careful assessments are done to plan the treatment. “We assess the patients for all the organ fitness and anesthesia fitness, and we have separate scoring systems for various surgeries, radiotherapies, and chemotherapies. We assess whether the patient would tolerate the chemotherapy or the radiotherapy or the surgery, which we contemplate for the patient and then only take up. So, not all patients have a poor quality of life; but we aim at giving a very good quality of life to all the patients,” says Dr. Jayachandran PK, Consultant in Medical Oncology, Hemato-Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Cellular Therapy at Apollo Cancer Centre, Teynampet, Chennai.
Strength in Experience
Latest treatments like immunotherapy and targeted treatments are helping many seniors take on cancer without having to tolerate the harmful side effects of traditional chemotherapy. It also offers better tolerance and the possibility of maintaining quality of life alongside cancer care. The precision oncology expert Dr Sewanti Limaye from Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital developed a treatment plan that involved immunotherapy targeting a specific biomarker.
Dr Jayachandran PK emphasises, “Obviously, the immunotherapies and targeted treatments are less toxic or differentially toxic. Basically they do not behave like regular chemotherapy toxicities. They have a set of different toxicities, but they are better tolerated in elderly patients than the regular chemotherapies. But not all cancers have the option of going into immunotherapy and targeted treatments. So, if there is an option of going into immunotherapy and targeted treatments for such patients, you always prefer to go for these sets of newer agents in place for elderly patients.”
Advanced treatments like immunotherapy and targeted therapy enable seniors to fight cancer with fewer side effects, offering quality of life. With family support adding strength and inherent resilience, helping them handle treatment with courage, the elderly people face cancer head-on.
Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at factcheck@thip.in. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.
