Middle aged 'miss out' on cancer surgery

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12783589

People are less likely to get some forms of cancer surgery once they enter middle age, say researchers.
A report by the National Cancer Intelligence Network shows the percentage of patients being operated on in England fell with age.
The author said the drop in surgery rates in people as young as 50 was a cause for concern.

Sarah Woolnough, director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said surgeons must take notice of the report and analyse their practice as cancer outcomes in the UK were not as good as the rest of the world.
She told the BBC: "There could be very good clinical reasons for the trend, but it does reinforce the idea of a cultural bias against treating older people."

I hope there is another reason for these stats..but it's hard to discern what that might be.

[Taf]

Maybe they think us oldsters are ready for the scrap heap as we haven't enough years of taxable life left?

[tosh mate]

Originally Posted by Taf

Maybe they think us oldsters are ready for the scrap heap as we haven't enough years of taxable life left?

You could have a point there Taf

Originally Posted by tosh mate

You could have a point there Taf

Well even if as an OAP I end up paying less income tax,I still will be paying taxes in the form of VAT,Custom and Excise duty,council taxes and all the other forms of hidden tax that the government uses I'm still a viable tax source.

[tosh mate]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Well even if as an OAP I end up paying less income tax,I still will be paying taxes in the form of VAT,Custom and Excise duty,council taxes and all the other forms of hidden tax that the government uses I'm still a viable tax source.

true too Maggy J - We all get taxed even in death

[joglynne]

I know he was a tad older than 50 but my Dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 82. He was accepted by The Christie because he was very fit and active and the surgeon commented that he wouldn't have operated on him, or a younger person if he didn't consider them to be fit enough to survive long enough to lead an active life after what was a very long surgical procedure with gruelling post-operative medical treatments to be expected afterwards.

If Doctors/Surgeons are being judged on results then, to a certain extent, I can understand their reluctance to put themselves in to the position where they are judged as failing just because they don't have a high success rate when they can opt to pick younger and healthier patients off the waiting lists who presumably will survive longer after being treated.