Roswell Park's Older Adult Oncology Program Prioritizes the Needs of Older Patients
If you ask 75-year-old Anthony Universal what it takes to win a demolition derby, he’ll tell you it’s pure luck. He recalls stock car races with his oldest son — the whir of the engine, the roar of the crowd, the adrenaline of keeping his car going. He remembers family trips to Florida, where he’d load his three kids into the car and drive straight through the night with his wife to the Daytona 500. For Anthony, family and faith are what matters most.
Family has remained a constant throughout his life, especially during his journey with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and renal cell carcinoma, two aggressive forms of cancer. Faced with the prospect of an 11-hour surgery, Anthony and his wife, Donna, turned to Roswell Park after a stay at another local hospital. Concerned that Anthony might not be strong enough to withstand the surgery, the pair was immediately connected with Roswell Park’s Older Adult Oncology Program, a program made possible by the generous support of donors like you.
Anthony's Journey at Roswell Park
Headed by Desi Carozza, MD, FAAHPM, HEC-C, triple board-certified in internal medicine, geriatrics and palliative medicine, the Older Adult Oncology Program provides specialized services for older adults going through cancer treatment. These services meet older patients where they are, recognizing their vulnerability and unique needs.
“It was a complete change of attitude for both of us,” Donna recalls. “We were so stressed out before because we weren’t getting anywhere. And when we came here to Roswell, every person was terrific. Dr. Carozza was so down to earth and real. She didn’t use a lot of terms that we didn’t understand. And they gave Tony a lot of attention and told us what to expect ahead of time.”
That included a conversation about post-op delirium, a sudden onset state of confusion that can extend hospitalization and contribute to complications. Dr. Carozza made it clear that post-op delirium is not dementia and is typically caused by hospitalization, medications and infections. When Anthony woke up and thought that he was residing in a “Halloween room,” his family was able to recognize the sudden confusion as delirium and alert his medical team for management. Today, they laugh together about the Halloween-themed sightings.
Dr. Carozza’s team also worked in conjunction with Anthony’s surgeon, Dr. Dhir, to ensure Anthony received the best care possible. For Anthony, that meant the understanding that his faith and family were most important.
“In the pre-op room, my oldest son was in there at the time. Dr. Dhir came in, and he prayed with us right there before the surgery. You got a guy who’s a top surgeon and God’s helping him. It’s the best combination that I could have. At that point, I needed a strong person like that to pull me out of this,” Anthony says.
Individualized Care, Kindness and What Matters Most
Looking back on Anthony’s surgery, Dr. Dhir reflected on his collaboration with the donor-funded Older Adult Oncology program: “The thoroughness of the Older Adult Oncology Program is very, very informative. It enhanced Anthony’s care, helped prepare him for surgery and made our team more aware of what to watch for after. We were able to give him dedicated care and support.”
The donor-funded program launched three years ago and has since expanded to meet growing demand. Thanks to your generous support, Michele Prior, MSN, AMB-BC, and Sarah Huss, GERO-BC, have joined the team, increasing capacity to care for more older adults.
Cancer risk increases with age, and the average life expectancy for people is also increasing, with more people living into their 80s or 90s. Considering that the average onset of many common cancers is 65 and up, now this program is more important now than ever.
“As we push the boundaries for people aging, we will have more patients with cancer,” Dr. Carozza says. “Aging is a universal process that affects each person differently and we need to meet the needs of each unique person.”
For patients like Anthony and his family, those needs range from managing delirium to a simple reminder to have glasses and a hearing aid close by during his recovery.
Above all, the program prioritizes individualized care — and kindness.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of donors like you.
“Everyone is so compassionate and so kind. They explain things. Never have we left here feeling defeated in any way, shape or form. That's incredible."