Injuries and other health concerns are more common in older people after certain cancer surgeries

Older people who undergo cancer surgery are more likely than their younger counterparts to experience injuries and health issues such as falling down, breaking bones, dehydration, bed sores, failure to thrive and delirium. These age-related issues may lead to longer hospital stays, increased health care costs and a greater risk of death, a UCLA study found. These problems can occur in addition to  post-surgery complications, making them much more challenging to handle and more difficult for people to recover from. The study also found that they are especially frequent in people who undergo major abdominal surgery for cancer. The 18-month study, which appeared today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, brings to light issues related to frailty and reduced functionality, conditions of the elderly that tend to be overshadowed by more common objects of study, such as survival rates and chemotherapy toxicity. The findings could lead to better care planning and, the researchers hope, better outcomes for patients whose age puts them at higher risk, said Dr. Hung-Jui Tan, the study’s first author and a fellow in urologic oncology at UCLA. “The findings highlight the importance for older patients to discuss these potential events with their doctors as they prepare for surgery,” Tan said. “Now that the prevalence of such events is known, treatment approaches that keep these age-related health concerns in mind may be better applied in the future to better assist these patients....
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news