Cancer Surgery: A Senior's Guide (by The Geriatric Oncologist)

If you are an older adult with cancer or a caregiver of an older adult with cancer, deciding whether you should proceed with cancer surgery or not seems like a losing bet, no matter which side you choose. The burden of making THE RIGHT DECISION looks too heavy. You also may lose many nights of sleep thinking about whether you made the right decision? You may have so many questions to ask surgeons and other care providers, but at the end, you may feel that you have forgotten many of your questions. You may not even recall the surgeon's responses because you were distracted by fear of UNKNOWNS. You are not alone in this feeling. Unfortunately, every year in the US, thousands of older adults are diagnosed with cancer and may need to decide whether to proceed with surgery or not. Many times, the initial question that you ask yourself is if you are TOO OLD to undergo surgery? You will ask almost every care provider, family member, and friend the same question. THIS IS A WRONG APPROACH to your decision-making. I have taken care of thousands of older patients with cancer during this crucial time of their lives. While that decision is ALWAYS COMPLEX, there is a wrong and proper approach to making this complex decision. After watching this video, I hope you learn a thing or two, SEVEN, in fact, to improve how you approach this decision-making process. #cancer #cancersurgeon #cancersurgery #olderpeople #healthcare #delirium #preop #frailty #decisionmaking