Read time: 2 minutes.
The LUNGevity Conversations that Count speaker series offers an opportunity to stay informed, engage in critical discussions, and learn from top experts revolutionizing lung cancer care for underserved populations. The series is intended for healthcare professionals, community health equity champions, and anyone interested in equitable access to healthcare.
In June, we welcomed Carolyn J. Presley, MD, MHS, from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and The James Cancer Hospital/Solove Research Institute. Dr. Presley joined us to talk about her work in geriatric oncology and engaging the elderly in cancer care.
The longer I do this the more I realize that what’s good for older adults is actually good for everybody.
-Dr. Carolyn Presley, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
You can watch the full video or use the timestamps to view specific sections.
Why Is It Important to Care for Older Adults? 5:45-17:30
Dr. Presley gives a brief overview of her presentation and clarifies that there’s an important difference between the words “old” and “frail” when talking about people and their health. She defines “old” as a term that simply relates to someone's age, which cannot be changed. “Frail,” meanwhile, describes someone’s state of health and is measurable, preventable, and can be changed.
She sets the stage for her talk by sharing statistics about the growing adult population, emphasizing that in 2035 there will be more older adults (65 and older) than children in the U.S.
Some lung cancer-specific statistics include:
- Average age of a lung cancer diagnosis is 71
- Average 5-year survival rate has increased to 20%
- Of all lung cancer survivors, 67% are 65 years of age or older
How Can We Best Treat Older Adults with Lung Cancer? 17:30-34:30
Before sharing her suggestions, Dr. Presley emphasizes that treating older adults with cancer, or anyone with cancer, goes beyond finding an effective treatment. Treatment plans for older adults with lung cancer must take into account their health and lifestyle. It means answering questions like do they have someone helping them, what does success look like to them, how do we not overburden them?
When it comes to solutions, Dr. Presley offers three areas of focus:
- Healthcare delivery models
- Supportive care research
- Workforce development
During this section, Dr. Presley goes into detail about her work to improve care for older adults with cancer.
Survivorship Care After Cancer: 34:30-43:15
Dr. Presley's three pillars of long-term survivorship care are:
- Anti-cancer treatment
- Palliative care
- Supportive care
The specifics of a care plan are individualized for each person, with a focus on identifying vulnerabilities and impairments through a geriatric assessment that looks at:
- Functional status
- Fall history
- Social support
- Cognition
- Psychological status
- Nutritional status
- Co-morbidities
- Polypharmacy evaluation
Summary and Q&A: 43:15-60:00
After giving a brief summary, Dr. Presley answers these audience questions:
- How do you use care/patient navigators?
- Can you explain what you mean when you say, “old 80-year-old" vs a “young 80-year-old?”
- How often do you have people with hearing issues when going through the geriatric assessment?
- Are elderly people able to get surgery to remove cancer that has not spread?
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