Many older women who are getting breast cancer when they are 65+ are more concerned about maintaining their independence than fearing a recurrence of breast cancer.
Many older women who are getting breast cancer when they are 65+ are more concerned about maintaining their independence than fearing a recurrence of breast cancer.For some women in this age group a diagnosis of breast cancer may be just another disease to add to the ones they currently have, ones that already threaten their lives or limit their ability to function without assistance.
In a study published in May of 2009, “Older Women, Breast Cancer, and Social Supports” the authors,Grace J. Yoo & Ellen G. Levine & Caryn Aviv & Cheryl Ewing & Alfred Au, report on the concerns of older women regarding their issues and needs from diagnosis through recovery from active treatment.
According to the study report, advancing age is the single most critical risk factor in the development of breast cancer, and one in ten women over the age of 65 will develop it.
Unlike younger breast cancer survivors, older breast cancer survivors face issues of advancing age and other illnesses that may result in more side effects from treatment and a more complicated recovery.
Recent studies have indicated that the toxicity of chemotherapy, such as the side effects of fatigue and nausea, appear more often in older women than in younger women.
Even though there is an increased risk of breast cancer among older women, there is comparatively little literature on the psychosocial impact of a breast cancer diagnosis and its subsequent treatment on older women.
What is also known is that older women face under-treatment for cancer in areas including chemotherapy, radiation, palliative care, pain management, and reconstruction.
Research has shown that when faced with a breast cancer diagnosis and its subsequent treatments, older women have fewer supportive networks to rely on than younger women.
Unfortunately for older women, most studies examining the role of social support for women diagnosed with breast cancer have so far focused on the experience of younger women.
Although older women often feel reluctant to depend on others during their breast cancer treatment, various forms of support are needed to get through diagnosis, treatment, and post treatment.
The report recommends additional education on the impact of breast cancer treatment such as chemotherapy not only on the older woman patient but also on her informal and formal support networks.
It is advisable to educate the patient about the importance of asking for social support and to help her identify ways of receiving such support.
Observation…Although not covered in this report, the question arises about meeting the support needs of an ever growing population of older women with breast cancer as the “Baby Boomers” reach 65 years of age.
