Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Cancer in Older Ages of 85 Years and Over

Abs tractAim: With the aging global population, cancer in very elderly individuals has become an increasingly relevant clinical concern.In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and management approaches of patients aged 85 years and older who were diagnosed with solid tumors. Methods:This retrospective descriptive study included patients aged 85 years who were diagnosed with solid malignancies between January 2010 and December 2022 in a tertiary oncology center.Medical records were reviewed to collect data on demographics, presenting symptoms, comorbidities, cancer types, diagnostic methods, treatment decisions, and smoking status.Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive methods, with results expressed as means standard deviations.A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The mean age of 150 patients was 89.532.68 years and 58% were male.The most common complaint was palpable mass/ lesion (31%).Comorbidities were present in 75% of the patients.The most common cancer diagnoses were skin (30%), lung (13%) and bladder (11%) cancers.At the time of diagnosis, in the staging, positron emission tomography-computed tomography was used most frequently (43%).27% of the patients were smokers.Surgical and hormonal treatments were primarily administered because of advancing age and co-morbidities, but the best supportive treatment was the first decision in 43% of the patients. Conclusion:This study highlights the distribution of malignancy types, comorbidities, diagnostic trends, and treatment challenges in patients aged 85 and above, underlining the need for individualized approaches in this growing patient population.