Why Cancer Treatments Might Not Work Very Well for Older Adults

June 30, 2023

(Undark) – This dearth of age-specific data has profound implications for clinical care, as older adults are more likely than younger people to be diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S, approximately 42 percent of people with cancer are over the age of 70 — a number that’s poised to grow in the years to come — and yet they comprise less than a quarter of the people in clinical trials to test new cancer treatments. Those who do participate are often the healthiest of the aged, who may not have common age-related conditions such as diabetes or poor kidney or heart function, said Mina Sedrak, a medical oncologist and the director of the Cancer and Aging program and the University of California Los Angeles.  (Read More)