Age is an important factor in determining the response of brain tumors to chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Patients over sixty years old have a lower response rate and shorter duration of response than younger patients. Tumor cells from younger patients were sensitive to BCNU, but cells from older patients barely responded to the BCNU. Only a few studies evaluate age as a parameter of response. Older patients may have to take medicine due to chronic illnesses, and this means that there should be special attention to those patients because the drugs could mess up the treatments. Also, older patients have a decreased creatinine clearance that must be considered when calculating the dose of the chemotherapeutic drug (Medscape).
Headaches …show more content…
Other significant symptoms can happen as well. These symptoms may include a loss of feeling in a body limb, loss of balance, a loss of vision or double vision, loss of hearing (may include dizziness), and having a difficult time with speech (Simon). Steve Neubert, whose father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had reported in an interview, “The early symptom was a very noticeable personality change. He developed paranoia and a distrust of people. As the cancer progressed, his speech was affected as well as limited use by one of his arms and a facial droop. Frequent headaches were also affecting him.” This quote is showing the changes in the patient 's personality, and the physical changes due to being diagnosed with a brain tumor …show more content…
Most of the clinical studies done exclude patients that are older than seventy. A recent analysis from the Southwest Oncology Group shows that patients sixty-five years old and older represent 44% of patients with brain tumors. This is because of stringent age and general health eligibility criteria, the thought that older patients would get nothing out of clinical trials, and the fact that there are also no clinical trials designed for brain tumors in the elderly. The decision to initiate treatment for a brain tumor in elderly people should be based on age and life expectancy. Those factors determine the surgical risk (Medscape). Brain tumors in older patients have specific characteristics that determine their biological behavior and response to therapy. There is a need for more clinical studies in older patients. Requirements for rehab and support systems for the elderly need to be ("Brain Tumors in an Older
Headaches …show more content…
Other significant symptoms can happen as well. These symptoms may include a loss of feeling in a body limb, loss of balance, a loss of vision or double vision, loss of hearing (may include dizziness), and having a difficult time with speech (Simon). Steve Neubert, whose father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had reported in an interview, “The early symptom was a very noticeable personality change. He developed paranoia and a distrust of people. As the cancer progressed, his speech was affected as well as limited use by one of his arms and a facial droop. Frequent headaches were also affecting him.” This quote is showing the changes in the patient 's personality, and the physical changes due to being diagnosed with a brain tumor …show more content…
Most of the clinical studies done exclude patients that are older than seventy. A recent analysis from the Southwest Oncology Group shows that patients sixty-five years old and older represent 44% of patients with brain tumors. This is because of stringent age and general health eligibility criteria, the thought that older patients would get nothing out of clinical trials, and the fact that there are also no clinical trials designed for brain tumors in the elderly. The decision to initiate treatment for a brain tumor in elderly people should be based on age and life expectancy. Those factors determine the surgical risk (Medscape). Brain tumors in older patients have specific characteristics that determine their biological behavior and response to therapy. There is a need for more clinical studies in older patients. Requirements for rehab and support systems for the elderly need to be ("Brain Tumors in an Older