EFN

As with most elderly patients with cancer, chemotherapy is not likely to be a course of action. It is difficult even for the young. Pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and mouth sores are just some of the side effects, and one would think it would be harder on the elderly.

One particular study found that one in two went without chemtherapy, but 87% of younger patients got it after surgery. Now, according to U.S. researchers, elderly colon cancer patients seem to not have many of the side effects suffered by the younger patients.

Because of their age, patients were given a less toxic dose of the chemicals and over a shorter period of time. Dr. Robert Fletcher, of Harvard Medical School, looked at the findings of of 675 Stage 3 colon cancer patients. 202 of these patients were 75 and older. The surprising result was that these patients tended to be healthier than the average elderly cancer patients. Many elderly patients are not given the opportunity to have chemotherapy due to other health issues. But researchers have stated that even those with other illnesses seem to be handling it just as well as the younger patients. More testing needs to continue.