Age discrimination, cancer care.

[rolex]

Anyone experienced this? A perfectly fit 93 year old guy with localised prostate cancer not given the same treatment as a younger guy would receive?

[Riley Blue]

rolex said:

Anyone experienced this? A perfectly fit 93 year old guy with localised prostate cancer not given the same treatment as a younger guy would receive?

What has he been offered? I was in my mid-'60s when diagnosed with localised prostate cancer and had a regime of active surveillance for about a year before a biopsy indicated it was time for action.

[numtumfutunch]

My friend was left incontinent after treatment for prostate surgery

If he's 93 with a slowly growing tumour I can see the sense in observation

[eybic]

As harsh as it sounds (and I don't agree with thinking this way) I guess they are weighing up the benefits vs the cost of treatment and also potential side effects in the same way that a hip replacement for a 20 year old is much more likely to be long a term success than for an 80 year old. They also do it with other cancer treatments and have some weird formulae for how much it's likely to extend the patient's life against cost of treatment.

[Fastchas]

I understand that tumours grow a lot slower the older the patient. He may well die of old age before the cancer really troubles him, certainly if weighing up the physical costs of treatment

[Grandad Gaz]

Fastchas said:

I understand that tumours grow a lot slower the older the patient. He may well die of old age before the cancer really troubles him, certainly if weighing up the physical costs of treatment

yes, a lot of old men die with prostate cancer, not because of it.

[Riley Blue]

'Watchful waiting' is the observation method for older men and, as has been stated, many die from other causes before their prostate cancer is sufficiently severe.

[Derek Smith]

I've got the dreaded prostrate cancer. I'm 72 and fairly fit.

I'm being 'monitored', which amounts to regular PSA tests (one due tomorrow) and feedback on the result. I was told last time that 'probably' nothing would happen for 7-10 years. I was due another MRI, but it was put back, and then there was a fire, and then it was all forgotten. I can understand prioritising, but I get the feeling that I'm being kept back until I get too old for treatment.

I've got an appointment to see the prostrate specialist on the 23rd but I doubt anything other than platitudes will result.

Prostrate cancer hits oldens the most. Age discrimination seems harsh.

[HairyMaclary]

Derek Smith said:

I've got the dreaded prostrate cancer. I'm 72 and fairly fit.

I'm being 'monitored', which amounts to regular PSA tests (one due tomorrow) and feedback on the result. I was told last time that 'probably' nothing would happen for 7-10 years. I was due another MRI, but it was put back, and then there was a fire, and then it was all forgotten. I can understand prioritising, but I get the feeling that I'm being kept back until I get too old for treatment.

I've got an appointment to see the prostrate specialist on the 23rd but I doubt anything other than platitudes will result.

Prostrate cancer hits oldens the most. Age discrimination seems harsh.

Sorry to hear that Derek hope they sort something out for you. I know a couple of people on the drugs that manages it rather than surgery. They both seem fairly relaxed about it. I think I'd be get it out of me now type..

All the best.

[Riley Blue]

HairyMaclary said:

Derek Smith said:

I've got the dreaded prostrate cancer. I'm 72 and fairly fit.

I'm being 'monitored', which amounts to regular PSA tests (one due tomorrow) and feedback on the result. I was told last time that 'probably' nothing would happen for 7-10 years. I was due another MRI, but it was put back, and then there was a fire, and then it was all forgotten. I can understand prioritising, but I get the feeling that I'm being kept back until I get too old for treatment.

I've got an appointment to see the prostrate specialist on the 23rd but I doubt anything other than platitudes will result.

Prostrate cancer hits oldens the most. Age discrimination seems harsh.

Sorry to hear that Derek hope they sort something out for you. I know a couple of people on the drugs that manages it rather than surgery. They both seem fairly relaxed about it. I think I'd be get it out of me now type..

All the best.

I originally opted for surgery but during the pre-op assessment it was discovered I heart problems severe enough to rule it out. I then had a course of hormone injections followed by radiotherapy. That ended five years ago and I feel fine now apart from having to get up to pee a few times during the night and 'firing blanks' but at 70 who cares about that?

BTW - have a read of the prostate cancer 'sticky' above, it may be useful.

[boxst]

Not related to prostate cancer, but my Father was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma and I was quite surprised at the amount of effort put in to cure him. He is 91 and had the full on treatment including lots of visits, MRI, PET and CT scans etc... The reason I say 'surprised' is that looking at it coldly, the return on that amount of outlay for the NHS is minimal at best. So I would say that they do a superb job regardless of your age.

(It didn't work out and the chemo wrecked him, and has it's own issues, but that is for another time and I will update the other thread)

[Derek Smith]

Riley Blue said:

HairyMaclary said:

Derek Smith said:

I've got the dreaded prostrate cancer. I'm 72 and fairly fit.

I'm being 'monitored', which amounts to regular PSA tests (one due tomorrow) and feedback on the result. I was told last time that 'probably' nothing would happen for 7-10 years. I was due another MRI, but it was put back, and then there was a fire, and then it was all forgotten. I can understand prioritising, but I get the feeling that I'm being kept back until I get too old for treatment.

I've got an appointment to see the prostrate specialist on the 23rd but I doubt anything other than platitudes will result.

Prostrate cancer hits oldens the most. Age discrimination seems harsh.

Sorry to hear that Derek hope they sort something out for you. I know a couple of people on the drugs that manages it rather than surgery. They both seem fairly relaxed about it. I think I'd be get it out of me now type..

All the best.

I originally opted for surgery but during the pre-op assessment it was discovered I heart problems severe enough to rule it out. I then had a course of hormone injections followed by radiotherapy. That ended five years ago and I feel fine now apart from having to get up to pee a few times during the night and 'firing blanks' but at 70 who cares about that?

BTW - have a read of the prostate cancer 'sticky' above, it may be useful.

Thanks for the replies, guys. I don't like self-pity and I apologise. It was just that I'd gone onto a prostrate forum and read some of the stories. Bad move. I was looking to prepare for asking the specialist.

I've got an additional problem. I react badly to anaesthetics. Or rather, unpredictably. So invasive techniques are somewhat fraught.

Sorry to hear about your heart problems. It's all you need on a pre-op.

I am normally relaxed about it as well. There're no overt symptoms. I do get up once during the night, but I could stop that if I didn't drink anything after 6pm, but who wants that.

I'll have a chat with the specialist in a fortnight.

As an aside, I went in for a biopsy on lumps in my throat. On speaking to the anaesthetist the evening before, I was told that, during a minor biopsy on a lump in my mouth, my heart had stopped beating - for 7 minutes I found out later - and they'd had trouble rebooting me. I asked why this was, and I was told that they believed it was because I was nervous the previous time.

I mean, it's funny in a way. I said that I hadn't felt nervous before, but my outlook was changing a bit.

[Four Litre]

rolex said:

Anyone experienced this? A perfectly fit 93 year old guy with localised prostate cancer not given the same treatment as a younger guy would receive?

I was talking to my now solely private doctor about age and the service on offer from the NHS. He was very clear that the NHS approach is that if they think the patient has less than 10 years left, then to not really bother with expensive treatments. All comes down to cost.

Its the main reason he left the NHS. (Apart from the ££)

[bogoatv8]

I can only go by my experience of the NHS but my mother at 88 has had major surgery and is now well and my mother in law had several major operations in her late 80's and early 90's and had several years with a good quality of life afterwards. I would have to say my experience is that the NHS does its best for all regardless of age.

[Riley Blue]

bogoatv8 said:

I would have to say my experience is that the NHS does its best for all regardless of age.

That's been my experience too. My Dad had surgery for prostate cancer when in his mid-80s, my Mum had cataracts removed when in her very late 80s. Obviously there's a judgement call on whether the benefit is outweighed by the risk - as in my own case where surgery was discounted - but right up until the end both my parents received expensive treatment; my Dad's eye injections for wet AMD cost over £1000 a visit.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Fastchas said:

I understand that tumours grow a lot slower the older the patient.

I've been told by an oncologist that's an urban myth. Some prostate cancers are slow growing, others more aggressive. You can get either at 50 or 95.