71-Year-Old Cancer Patient Broke Trial Age Limits for a Chance at a Cure

January 10, 2023

(Wall Street Journal) – After Mikhail Rubin learned his lethal blood disease had progressed, he decided that he wanted a stem-cell transplant through a clinical trial. But there was an obstacle: his age. Mr. Rubin, who is now 72, was too old to participate. Many cancer trials cap enrollment at age 65. Even when trials for older people are available, oncologists are reluctant to enroll elderly patients because frailties might make them less resilient against side effects from toxic treatments, according to a 2020 study in an American Cancer Society journal. People over 70 represent a growing share of the cancer-patient population but are vastly underrepresented in clinical trials, the study said. (Read More)