Research Disparities Lead to Less Adequate Cancer Treatment in Older Populations
New York, NY – October 26, 2021 – Aging is the highest risk factor for developing cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. In fact, more than 90 percent of cancer diagnoses occur in people aged 50 and older, with peak diagnoses among those aged 65-74. Yet, understanding age-related cancer – its causes and treatment – is underfunded and understudied, leading to less optimal patient outcomes for older adults.
The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) has invested more than $100 million to support the work of 200 researchers around the world to address these disparities in both research, and treating cancer in older populations. In 2019, the Foundation launched a partnership with National Cancer Institute and the National Council on Aging to further investigate the complex interplay between aging and cancer and improve treatment options.
“Until recently, there has been minimal attention given to aging and cancer,” said Dr. Samuel Waxman, SWCRF CEO and Founder . “However, with cancer incidence and mortality rates rising with an increasing aging population, it is urgent that government agencies, research institutions and universities, cancer research organizations, and businesses and philanthropists, collaborate to fund the research to improve the treatments of older patients.”
Aging AND Cancer, the peer-reviewed journal published by Wiley Publishing in partnership with the SWCRF, is another new initiative to showcase vital research focused on aging and cancer. The third issue is available today and features four new papers, each providing new insights into cancer in older populations authored by investigators associated with SWCRF:
- Cells with cancer-associated mutations overtake our tissues as we age – DeGregori, James et al: This study reveals how we each accumulate over 100 billion cells with cancer-associated mutations by old age, raising important issues, such as how most of us avoid cancers till we are old despite all of these mutations and how these mutations might alter tissue function as we age. Further studies should help improve methods of detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer, as well as how to mitigate the potential impact of these mutations on our overall health. (link)
- Developing a multimorbidity prognostic score in elderly patients with solid cancer using administrative databases from Italy - Franchi, Matteo et al: This study aims to improve care for elderly patients with cancer who have other serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes by creating a scale to measure mortality risks. Researchers found that developing a Cancer Multimorbidity Score was useful for both identifying high-risk older patients and adjusting clinical care. (link)
- The potential of cord blood to replenish young immune cells against cancer – Ren, Ruibao et al: This paper examines whether umbilical cord blood, which is considered a source of “young” immune cells for anti-infectious immunity and cancer immunotherapy could be effective for replenishing aging immune cells against neoplastic diseases. (link)
- Are the estrogen receptor and SIRT3 axes of the mitochondrial UPR key regulators of breast cancer subtype determination according to age? – Gemain, Doris et al: These researchers developed a new model to explain why estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers are more common in elderly women than in young women, despite the decline in estrogen as women age. The authors’ findings suggest new avenues for prevention and therapies to combat this aging-associated form of breast cancer. (link)
Aging AND Cancer is led by editors-in-chiefs James DeGregori (University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora) and Shen Baiyong (Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai).
“Disparities in cancer research have real life consequences. For example, only 7 percent of pancreatic cancer patients over 85 years old are eligible for surgery and yet drug-based treatments are also difficult considering that older patients are under-represented in most phase III randomized trails and often are not able to tolerate these medications,” said Shen Baiyong, co-editor of Aging AND Cancer. “This is why the work of the journal is a major step forward to improving cancer treatment for older patients.”
About the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF):
The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is an international organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The Foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes cancer and develops minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through the Foundation’s collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, investigators share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research. Since its inception in 1976, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation has awarded more than $100 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe. For more information, visit www.waxmancancer.org.
About Aging AND Cancer:
Aging AND Cancer is a relatively new open access journal from Wiley focused on understanding how the process of aging is a central component of cancer evolution and progression. The journal covers basic, translational and clinical findings that are of broad interest, investigating the mechanisms via which age-associated deterioration of the individual, from macromolecules to tissues and organs, promote the onset, progression and relapse of cancer, and impact treatment options and outcomes. This journal provides a forum for new results and ideas that improve our understanding for how old age influences many different facets of cancer, from incidence to its development and pathology to treatment outcomes to psycho-social aspects of living with cancer. The journal is published in affiliation with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. For more information, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26438909.
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