Better cancer care for the fastest growing population group in the U.S.
The number of adults aged 85 and older is expected to triple by 2060, due in large part to better treatments and a decline in tobacco use. Because cancer risk increases with age, demand for cancer care in this population will continue to grow. \n\nWilliam Dale, MD, PhD, joined the podcast to talk about the needs of older adults who are cancer patients and how we can better meet them.\n\nHe also talked about \u201cThe Elephant in the Room,\u201d a film executive produced by Dr. Dale and his wife that depicts the real-life experiences of Bonnie Freeman, who was a nurse practitioner at City of Hope. Ms. Freeman, who wrote the screenplay for the film, tragically passed away shortly before the film\u2019s release.\n\nThe film, which is available on Amazon Prime, is about a \u201ccomical nurse practitioner who treats his patients in an unconventional way, is challenged by a tough and stubborn patient, but is determined to show him the bright side, even when the end is so close.\u201d\n\nAmazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Room-Niko-Vitacco/dp/B08GCNTZXQ \nIMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8857090/\n\nWilliam Dale, MD, PhD, is Chair of Supportive Care Medicine and Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging Research at City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center near Los Angeles.\n4:49 \u2013 Unmet needs for older adults who are cancer patients\n\n9:47 \u2013 On barriers preventing senior cancer patients from enrolling in clinical trials \n\n13:34 \u2013 What strategies might decrease these barriers? \n\n17:27 \u2013 Misconceptions and opportunities for impact in the field of palliative care\n\n22:02 \u2013 On \u201cThe Elephant in the Room\u201d \n\n24:40 \u2013 How he hopes the film could help advance palliative care, and how it draws on the real-life experiences of nurse practitioners and social workers at City of Hope\n\n29:36 \u2013 How to find \u201cThe Elephant in the Room\u201d on Amazon Prime, and how a number of colleagues in medicine have commented on its realism\n\n32:21 \u2013 How the American Cancer Society has impacted his research and clinical care\n\n37:15 \u2013 Current research pursuits that he\u2019s most excited about\n\n42:19 \u2013 A message he\u2019d like to share with cancer patients, survivors and caregivers