Older adults with blood cancer: How do they manage?

Posted in: Cancer by Dr. Tarang Krishna Posted Date: 20 Jan, 2020

Blood cancer is a common type of cancer affecting thousands of people. But blood cancer is more demanding for older adults majorly because older adults are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic health conditions such as heart diseases and diabetes. Even if you are an average healthy older adult, body will respond differently to the treatment than a younger person’s body.

Blood Cancer Facts

• Immunotherapy is a great blood cancer treatment when traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy have failed to yield the optimum results. In such cases, this blood cancer treatment can show remarkable results in patients.
• Age can significantly increase the chances of cancer. In fact, in older people, other lifestyle-associated risks can also accumulate.
• There is very little research and evidence on the radiation treatment of elderly patients.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy cause side-effects more frequently and in greater severity to the elderly as compared with young patients. Elderly patients also recover from treatments more slowly.

How to Manage Blood Cancer in Older Adults?

Take inspiration from the blood cancer survivors

Cancer survivors can understand you and your challenges as they have been through the same trauma. Older adults can join support groups and societies which has encouraging words from survivors. Many leading blood cancer hospital in India says that cancer survivors show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be meaningful, productive, and inspiring.

Stay in constant touch with friends and family

Your family and friends are a valuable source of network and advice. They can help you lift any depression which may settle in while you’re going through the blood cancer treatment. Maintaining touch with friends and talking with family members can help you through the darkest moments.

Rest properly

Even if you feel you have all the possible energy to deal with everything, it’s important to get as much rest as possible during your blood cancer treatment. Proper rest can make you feel better and make treatment more effective.

Check your cancer treatment goals

The cancer treatment goals depends on various factors such as the type of cancer or whether it has spread or not. Other treatment goals may include being completely cancer-free, live longer with a better quality of life, having fewer symptoms from cancer and side effects from its treatment, maintaining physical and emotional strength and having a certain quality of life.

These goals might seem a bit different from a young person’s. For instance, a healthy younger person's goal might be to cure the blood cancer even if treatment is very difficult and has side effects but this might not be true for you. Depending on the age and general health, you might want to feel better than curing cancer fully by undergoing aggressive treatments.

This might be especially true if you have a chronic health condition or you feel that your quality of life is poor. But if you are very healthy and enjoy many activities, you might want aggressive treatment. Cancer Healer Center understands these concerns and derives the right treatment plan based on your goals.

Questions to Ask the Oncologist

• Is my cancer completely curable?
• What are all available cancer treatment options?
• What are the goals of each treatment?
• What blood cancer treatment will you recommend me and why? How will this treatment help me in my recovery?
• What are the potential side effects of the recommended treatment?
• Will I need to be in the hospital for treatment? Or can I stay home and come to the hospital or clinic during the day?
• What is the duration of the cancer treatment?
• What changes will it bring to my daily activities? Will I be able to perform my day-to-day activities?
• How can I keep myself as healthy as possible during my blood cancer treatment?
• If I have questions or problems, who should I call?

Cancer and ageing are multi-dimensional processes which pose major challenges to older patients and require multi-disciplinary research teams. Doctors at Cancer Healer Center understand this and offer treatment focusing on improving the quality of your life and help you plan for your needs, goals, and wishes.

About The Author

Dr. Tarang Krishna

Dr. Tarang Krishna, Director at Cancer Healer Center, is the perfect epitome of perseverance and dedication.

He has an impressive educational background to his credit. He completed his under-graduation in Medicine and Surgery from Pune, India and did his MD (Hom) from Agra University, India.Thesis on MD was on "Treatment of cancer" where he presented cases of almost 100 patients and the response of the medicines in the treatment of cancer. He then completed his Ph.d in Oncology from the United Kingdom and his thesis on the ‘Efficacy of Medicines in the Treatment of Cancer’ is greatly commemorated and honored.

He befittingly represents alternate medicine and has contributed significantly towards the development and research of immunotherapy.

Through his nationwide chain of “Cancer Healer Center” clinics he strives to offer superior cancer treatment, using immunotherapy.