Shabbir Alibhai

Administrative Assistant: Christine Fernandes, Christine.Fernandes@uhn.ca, 416 340 5125

Research Synopsis

I focus on research involving older adults with cancer. I study three main areas: treatment side effects, supportive care interventions, and the value of geriatric assessment. My main focus has been on prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men. I study side effects of treatments of advanced prostate cancer that are relevant to older men, including quality of life, falls, function, cognition and bone health. I have designed and conducted clinical trials of exercise to help manage various symptoms and side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, especially physical function and fatigue. Finally, because older adults are the largest group of people who develop and die from cancer, and there is often overtreatment and undertreatment of older adults (especially more frail older adults), I am studying different ways in which geriatric assessment can help to optimize treatment for older adults with cancer in both typical clinic settings and using clinical trials.