Getting older

Certain things can increase the risk of developing cancer. These are called risk factors. Getting older is a risk factor for many types of cancer. It is important to be aware of changes in your body and possible symptoms of cancer.

It is also important to know about cancer screening programmes available to you.

For example, breast cancer screening usually stops at the age of 70. But if you are older than 70, you can still ask your GP to refer you for a mammogram. We have more information about cancer screening.

Cancer treatment can help people of any age. The outcomes of cancer treatment for older people are similar to those for younger people.

This means that the treatment you are offered should not depend on how old you are. Your cancer doctor cannot give you less treatment than a younger person based on your age alone. This is called discrimination and is against the law.

But your healthcare team will consider the following when they plan your treatment:

• your health and fitness
• any other health conditions you have
• your preferences.

People who are reasonably fit can usually cope with cancer treatment, whatever their age. You may be able to cope with the same treatments as a younger person. This may include intense treatments to cure the cancer, or to control it for as long as possible.

You may need more support to cope with cancer treatment if you:

• have other health conditions
• are less fit
• are more frail.

You may be more likely to get certain side effects. Or you may be at higher risk of more serious side effects.

Some people choose to have less intense cancer treatment. This aims to control the cancer but also has less risk of serious side effects. For example, you might choose this option if:

• you have other health conditions that mean intense cancer treatment is more likely to cause serious side effects or harm
• you have a slow-growing cancer and prefer to focus on your quality of life rather than the number of years you will live.

You and your cancer doctor can make treatment decisions together using shared decision-making. They can explain the different treatments available and if any treatments may not be effective or right for you. We have more information about how cancer treatment is planned.

If you are older, cancer treatment can be more complex. If you have other health conditions, certain cancer treatments might not be suitable for you.

Other conditions, and the medicines you take for them, might make the side effects of cancer treatment worse. Your cancer doctor can talk to you about how other health conditions can be managed during cancer treatment.

Some cancer treatments can affect how the heart works. If you are older, you may be at a higher risk of heart problems. Or you may already have a heart condition. We have information about:

• different cancer treatments that may affect your heart
• managing heart problems during cancer treatment.

If you have diabetes, cancer treatment can make it difficult to control your blood sugar level. Our information about diabetes and cancer includes advice on:

• coping with treatment side effects
• managing your diabetes if you have advanced cancer.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.