TRIBUNE – Older people remain largely ignored by cancer screening programs, and their access to care remains difficult and unequal. However, specialists say: cancer can be cured at any age.
“Pink October” for breast cancer, “Movember” for the prostate, “Pearl November” for lung cancer… Communication operations do not weaken to encourage research and raise awareness of cancer prevention and screening, with beautiful results. But despite this dynamic, a population vulnerable to cancer still remains largely ignored: the elderly. Women over 74 remain excluded from organized screening and for men, we also observe disparities in access to tests depending on age.
However, we regularly hear from our patients: “If we stopped my screening after 74 years, it’s because I no longer risk anything!” This is false: the individual benefit of screening persists after age 74 and must be evaluated by the treating physician. “At my age, cancer is less common!” This is still false: the incidence of cancer increases throughout life. Today, more than 50% of colorectal cancers, a third of breast cancers and more than 70% of prostate cancers occur in patients aged 70 and over. We must be aware of this, especially since the symptoms of elderly people are often atypical: unusual constipation, urinary problems, etc. Too often, these signals are trivialized due to age, preventing early diagnosis.
Current treatments offer effective solutions against cancer, including in the elderly. And medical research must be accessible to them, so that their fragilities are taken into account and each patient benefits from an optimized care pathway. Specific means must be strengthened to accelerate the production of relevant data and results.
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A geriatrician and oncologist pair
To evaluate this complex population, marked by the hazards of life linked to old age, work in pairs involving geriatricians and oncologists, with the support of other health professionals (nurse, caregiver, dietician, rehabilitator, etc.) , is essential to optimize the care pathway. This is what the French-speaking Society of Onco-Geriatrics (SOFOG) and the National Cancer Institute (INCa) recommend. The Onco-Geriatrics Coordination Units (UCOG), present throughout the country, list these pairs in public and private health establishments.
Although this national network exists, access to care remains difficult and unequal, and cancer mortality remains higher in the elderly population. However, cancer can be cured at any age. As grandchildren, children, brothers, sisters, and even health professionals, we must therefore change our outlook on aging and cancer. Let's put an end to preconceived ideas and help patients listen to themselves and take care of themselves without self-censorship. Medicine is making progress in the detection and treatment of cancers. But progress only has value if it is accessible to everyone.
