The advanced cancer care and surgical treatment of cancer

Surgery

The surgery completely remove cancer may be an option or the surgery can be used to remove as much of cancer as possible or make the chemotherapy or the radiation therapy more effective, Like other treatment options, The surgery in older adults involves the risks, and some parts of the surgery are difficult. 

Before the surgery, It is important to consider the heart function, The surgery may make existing heart problems worse because the older people may experience the heart disease and the arrhythmia (the irregular heartbeat) as they age, and the heart’s ability to tolerate the excessive changes in the pressure is reduced as the people age.

The kidney function should be considered, Some types of drugs are more difficult for the kidneys to process, During the surgery, The patients may be exposed to many drugs and receive the large volumes of fluids which can cause the problems for the older adults whose the kidneys are not functioning well.

You should consider the liver function, The amount of the blood flow to the liver decreases with the age that can place the older adult at the increased risk for the drug reactions especially with some drugs that are used in the surgery.

Surgical treatment of cancer

You should consider the lung function, Along with the other organs, the lungs lose the volume as the people age, Chronic (long-term) conditions such as the emphysema (the lung disease that causes difficulty in breathing) or the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, loss of lung function).

They occur more often in the older adults and they can complicate the recovery from the anesthesia (The medication is given before and during the surgery), Decreased the lung function and the capacity can increase the risk of developing pneumonia after the surgery.

Some patients may need additional tests before the surgery, including the blood tests, the electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG), the lung function tests, and x-rays, The surgery is the mechanical means to remove the large tumor when there is no resistance to the chemotherapy, the radiation resistance & the other topics.

Advanced cancer care

The advanced cancer is called the end-stage or terminal cancer, It is cancer that cannot be cured, The older adults with advanced cancer continue to have the options for the treatment and can maintain a good quality of life.

The care options include standard treatment which is the current or the most effective treatment available for cancer, The clinical trials, Palliative/supportive care, Care that focuses on helping the people with all stages of cancer, including advanced cancer.

The cancer treatment consists of the single therapy or the combination of therapies, The most popular cancer treatment options are the surgery, the chemotherapy, and the radiation therapy, Palliative care is also called the supportive care, It is the treatment to relieve the person’s symptoms.

The palliative care improves the person’s quality of life, and it provides support to the patients and their families, The palliative care is the important part of the cancer treatment for the older adult with cancer and it can be given along with the standard treatment.

What are the different signs, symptoms and stages of cancer?

Side effects of Chemotherapy after the surgery to remove cancer