Seniors with Cancer: Improve Your Quality of Life

On 08 February 2025, Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live Webinar with a Senior Medical Oncologist, Dr Sachin Almel who spoke on and answered questions about Improving Quality of Life for Older Adults with Cancer

Dr Sachin Almel, MD (General Medicine) from the Government Medical College, Surat, has done is  DM (Medical Oncology) from Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Ahmedabad. He was a ‘Fellow’ under the aegis of Varoon Mahajan Memorial Trust Inc., U.S.A at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York.

• There have been significant advances in the field of medicine and cancer medicine. The average expectancy of life has significantly increased which is why we are now facing many patients in the OPD in the elderly subgroup. 
• Geriatric oncology is therefore now an important and growing branch in itself. 
• As the life expectancy is increasing, so is the incidence of cancer. It has become fairly common. Treatment and management in the elderly age group of patients can be fairly challenging. 
• Treating cancer is not so important. Simply treating the ailment does not suffice. We need to keep in mind that we also have to maintain a decent quality of life for the patient as well, for all our patients, more so for our elderly patients. 
• The most important aspect of any cancer treatment is pain management and providing emotional support. 
• Quality of life should be addressed in the elderly patients with cancer since it has become a priority for all practicing oncologists to not just treat the patient but to also maintain the dignity of life and quality for the patients. 
• The patient needs to be made to feel comfortable, happy and supported during the course of his treatment. 
• Cancer in the elderly is a problem not just because the disease is an issue but also because the majority of these patients have multiple comorbidities which need to be managed, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac issues; along with the cancer and advanced age. 
• In patients with comorbidities, it is important to identify these patients and the associated comorbidities and then tailor cut the treatment in such a way that we don’t jeopardise the health of the patient. 
• The treatment protocols that are designed, are designed based on the western population. 
• And we are now trying to customised the treatment for the South-East Asian population 
• It is imperative that the treatment needs to be adjusted according to the age of the patient and his general condition and health status. 
• The approach has to be holistic and take a holistic cancer care approach. Which includes team work wherein the doctor, nurses, psychologist, physical therapist and social worker work together. 
• We also need to adopt an approach which just helps manage the symptoms of the patient but we also need to improve the quality of life of the patient.
• The quality of life requires managing the physical health of the patient which includes encouraging the patient to stay active with the help of physical activity such as walks. This needs to be reinforced by the physical therapist and family care takers. 
• The one thing that any patient with cancer dreads is pain. Living with pain is the most unwanted part of the disease and alleviating this pain significantly improves the quality of life of the patient who is undergoing treatment. 
• Fatigue is another symptom of the disease as well as the treatment of cancer. It is a challenging symptom as well. 
• This can be addressed by implementing simple strategies such as 
  • Adequate rest 
  • Prioritise the tasks 
  • Manage your daily routine 
  • Regular physical activity 
• Another side effect of the therapies and treatment of cancer is nausea. 
• Nausea is now adequately managed.  
• Loss of appetite can be addressed by getting a diet plan from your dietician and sticking to it. Have small frequent meals 
• Keep yourself adequately hydrated throughout the day 
• Physical activity not only keeps your body in shape, but also keeps your mind active. This can include walking, stretching, yoga, etc. 
• Another important aspect of cancer treatment is taking care of the mental health and well being of the patient. 
• This can be because of the stress of the diagnosis, stress of the management and treatment of disease, stress of managing the side effects of the treatment and therapy. 
• Such patients need to be counselled about the diagnosis and therapy process of treatment. 
• Which is why it is important to have a psychiatrist, counsellor and social worker as a part of the team
• The three major domains of social support in cancer management are 

1. Emotional support: this needs to come from the family and near and dear ones. You also need to speak to your physician about your concerns. There are also support groups that one can join
2. Communication
3. Support groups and peer groups: at the Hinduja Hospital there is a support group for Cancer Survivors and patients undergoing treatment called “Mehak” which meets regularly.