Opportunities to Improve Lung Cancer Care for Older Patients
09-27-2023“With the majority of lung cancer patients being older than 65, it is imperative that actions are taken to encourage and facilitate clinical trials among older patients.”
Listen to an audio version of this press release
BUFFALO, NY- September 27, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 17, entitled, “Promising trends in lung cancer care, but are we overlooking the majority?”
In their new editorial, researchers Bhavina Sharma and Apar Kishor Ganti from the University of Nebraska Medical Center discuss challenges and opportunities for better lung cancer care for the elderly. Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, after female breast cancer and prostate cancer. It accounts for more cancer-related deaths in both men and women than any other types of cancer.
The incidence of new lung cancer has decreased between 1999-2019, mirroring the fall in tobacco use in the past few decades. Lung cancer-related mortality has also decreased with the recent advances in screening techniques and treatment strategies. However, the incidence of lung cancer and lung cancer mortality is still disproportionately higher among older patients (65 years and older).
Multiple studies have shown that older patients are more likely to be undertreated because of their chronological age, even after accounting for their comorbidities and socioeconomic status. Common reasons for this disparity are insufficient study evidence, lack of appropriate resources and support, patient factors such as socioeconomic status, as well as variations in individual physician practices and preferences. Even though the median age of lung cancer diagnosis is 71 years, and more than two-thirds of patients are older than 65 years, older patients are less likely to be enrolled in clinical trials.
“Although there is now increasing effort and guidance by major cancer societies and regulatory groups to increase inclusion of older patients, better conscious collaboration between the stakeholders is necessary for effective implementation of the strategies discussed and to enhance enrollment and retention of older cancer patients.”
Read the full paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.204662
Corresponding Author: Apar Kishor Ganti
Corresponding Email: aganti@unmc.edu
Keywords: lung cancer, aging, clinical trials
Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article: https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.204662
About Aging-US:
Aging publishes research papers in all fields of aging research including but not limited, aging from yeast to mammals, cellular senescence, age-related diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s diseases and their prevention and treatment, anti-aging strategies and drug development and especially the role of signal transduction pathways such as mTOR in aging and potential approaches to modulate these signaling pathways to extend lifespan. The journal aims to promote treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.
Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
Please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com and connect with us:
- X
- YouTube
- Spotify, Apple, SoundCloud, and available wherever you listen to podcasts
For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.