People need to understand their cancer diagnosis and treatments. Discuss them with the oncologist and learn what to expect during treatments.

When giving advice, the oncologist will consider side effects and a person’s overall health. For example, older adults often get chemotherapy at lower dosages because they may have less liver or kidney function to clear the medications from their systems.

Choosing a treatment depends on the oncologist’s advice and your priorities and goals for treatment. Get a second opinion if you have doubts about your treatment decision.

Cancer treatments to remove or kill the cancer cells may include:

• Surgery
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Biological (immune system) therapy

Surgery

If cancer is at an early stage and hasn’t spread, surgery often cures it. Cure is more likely with early stages of skin, lung, breast, kidney, and colon cancer. 

• Sometimes cancer spreads to the lymph nodes only, so they may be removed.
• Sometimes, a person may get another type of treatment such as chemotherapy, to shrink the tumor. Then surgery is used to remove the tumor.  

The older a person is, the more likely it is that they will have longer hospital stays and take more time to fully recover from surgery.

Radiation

Radiotherapy uses high-energy beams of radiation to kill cancer cells that grow rapidly. This is painless and generally safe and effective for older adults.

Radiation happens on a regular basis and usually takes only a few minutes per session. Side effects include:

• Skin above the tumor becoming sensitive or irritated. Soothing products can treat this.
• Tiredness

Side effects often last a short time.

For some cancers, such as prostate cancer or thyroid cancer, radioactive particles or chemicals can go into directly into the cancer to kill it.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a drug treatment for cancer. Many of these treatments are safe and effective for older adults. However, older adults:

• Tend to break down the chemicals in their bodies more slowly
• May get a lower dose than a younger person with the same disease
• May be more likely to get permanent organ damage

The choice of chemotherapy treatment depends on the cancer, its stage, and the person’s overall health. These drugs are taken by mouth or given through the veins (intravenously).

Chemotherapy often also harm healthy cells, including cells in the bone marrow, lining of the gastrointestinal tract, or hair follicles.

Some treatments can cause temporary side effects that can be controlled, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood cell counts, and hair loss.

Chemotherapy drugs often weaken the immune system. So people need to:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Get plenty of rest
• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid contact with anyone who has an infection that can spread, such as a cold or flu

Hormone Therapy

Hormone treatment is often used to reduce the risk of cancer returning after surgery, or to slow cancer growth after it has come back or spread. 

Hormone-like drugs are usually taken as a daily pill. They are effective against certain cancers, including cancers of the breast, prostate, or lining of the uterus (endometrium).

Hormone treatment can be used as the main treatment or in addition to other therapies.

Immune Therapie

Immune therapy (immunotherapy or biological therapy) uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer. Immune therapies are usually used along with, or after, other treatments.

Prognosis: Long-term Health Outlook

Some cancers can be cured or treated effectively. This often allows people with cancer to live for many years with good quality of life.

However, some cancers may not respond to treatments. This causes them to become life-threatening very quickly. A person’s long-term health depends on the:

• Type of cancer
• Stage of the cancer (how much it has spread)
• Treatment choices
• Chance that the cancer will respond to treatment
• Person’s age and health at diagnosis

Last Update May 2023