SURGERY FOR COLORECTAL CANCER IN ELDERLY PATIENTSSeptember 14, 2000Colorectal cancer is the most common malignant disease in elderly people, with over 70% of cases occurring in those aged 65 years or older. Doctors often have to decide whether surgery will be worthwhile in terms of the patient's life expectancy and the quality of life they can expect after surgery. In fact, fewer elderly patients undergo surgery for colorectal cancer than their younger counterparts. In this week's Lancet, P D Simmonds and colleagues from Southampton, UK report that the outcome of major surgery in elderly patients could be similar to that in younger people if careful selection and attention to detail is exercised. Life expectancy decreases with increasing age independent of the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Elderly patients have an increased frequency of conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and pulmonary disease, and are more likely to present as an emergency or with advanced diseases. All these factors could contribute to the decreased long-term survival in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. However, a large proportion of patients will survive for 2 or more years after surgery. Thus elderly patients should not be denied surgery for colorectal cancer on the basis of age alone. In an associated Commentary also in this week's Lancet, P G Alley suggests that decisions about the scope and timing of surgery of elderly patients should reside with the most senior of specialists, including an anaesthetist and a geriatrician, and the patients themselves. Contact: Dr P D Simmonds, CRC Wessex Medical Oncology Unit and Health Care Research Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD. (T) 023 8079 6184; (F) 023 8078 3839; (E) pds1@soton.ac.uk P G Alley, Department of Surgery, North Shore Hospital, Takapuna, Auckland 10, New Zealand. (T) 0064 9 486 8959; (F) 0064 9 488 4621; (E) ALLEYP@whl.co.nz Lancet |
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| Related Colorectal Cancer Current Events and Colorectal Cancer News Articles Colon cancer screening more effective earlier in day, UCLA study finds The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is performed. According to a new UCLA study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day progressed. 1 disease, not 1 demographic The Asian continent has nearly four billion people living in 47 different countries, and each of these groups has their own unique set of health issues. But when they come to the United States, they're often lumped into one large demographic: "Asian/Pacific Islander." Study shows unsedated colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening well accepted by patients Researchers from Taiwan report in a new study that unsedated colonoscopy for primary colorectal cancer screening is well accepted in a majority of patients. M. D. Anderson redefines screening guidelines for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers Drawing on years of experience in cancer research and patient care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center released today the most comprehensive, risk-based screening guidelines publicly available to date for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. The bowels of infection Current research suggests that latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The related report by Onyeagocha et al, "Latent cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates experimental colitis," appears in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. How to Lower Costs, Waiting Times for Colonoscopies Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, leading to over 50,000 fatalities every year. Excess body weight causes over 124,000 new cancers a year in Europe At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. Adding cetuximab to chemotherapy reduces advanced lung cancer death risk by 13 percent Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who are given cetuximab (Erbitux) in addition to chemotherapy are 13% less likely to die than those who receive chemotherapy alone, regardless of which chemotherapy drug cocktail is used, new research finds. They also experience slower disease progression and an increased chance of tumour shrinkage. New blood tests promise simple, cost-effective diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers Promising results from two new blood tests that can aid in the early identification of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers will be presented at Europe's largest cancer congress. University of Hawaii at Manoa CRCH scientists report adulthood body size associated with cancer risk A team of scientists led by researcher Brenda Hernandez, Ph.D., M.P.H.-an assistant professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i-has reported that body mass in younger and older adulthood, and weight gain between these life periods, may influence a man's risk for prostate cancer. More Colorectal Cancer Current Events and Colorectal Cancer News Articles |
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