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Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Garman, KS; Pieper, CF; Seo, P; Cohen, HJ
Published in: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
December 2003

BACKGROUND: Factors associated with functional status in elderly cancer survivors, in particular, comorbidity, have been inadequately studied. METHODS: Of 4162 participants aged 65 and older enrolled in the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study in 1986, 376 of the participants self-reported a diagnosis of cancer. Participants were divided into 2 comorbidity groups and 4 cancer groups. Cancer groups included 132 participants diagnosed 0-4 years ago, 117 diagnosed 5-15 years ago, 127 diagnosed >15 years ago, and 3784 participants who had never been diagnosed with cancer. Comorbidity (self-reported stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and myocardial infarction) was classified as presence of 1 or no comorbidities (n = 3089) or 2 or more comorbidities (n = 1073). Function was assessed by Katz Activities of Daily Living, Rosow-Breslau, Nagi, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scales at the time of interview. RESULTS: In a two-way analysis of covariance model of comorbidity and cancer group controlling for age, race, sex, education, marital status, depression, and cognitive status, duration of cancer survivorship does not influence most measures of function. In the subset of 376 cancer survivors, comorbidity significantly correlates with the functional status of these older cancer survivors (<0.02, for all 4 measures of function). CONCLUSIONS: In the older cancer survivor, regardless of duration following diagnosis, the presence of comorbidity rather than the history of cancer per se correlates with impaired functional status.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

DOI

ISSN

1079-5006

Publication Date

December 2003

Volume

58

Issue

12

Start / End Page

M1119 / M1124

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Sickness Impact Profile
  • Sex Distribution
  • Risk Assessment
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Probability
  • Neoplasms
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Multivariate Analysis
 

Citation

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Garman, K. S., Pieper, C. F., Seo, P., & Cohen, H. J. (2003). Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 58(12), M1119–M1124. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/58.12.m1119
Garman, Katherine S., Carl F. Pieper, Pearl Seo, and Harvey Jay Cohen. “Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities.J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 58, no. 12 (December 2003): M1119–24. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/58.12.m1119.
Garman KS, Pieper CF, Seo P, Cohen HJ. Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Dec;58(12):M1119–24.
Garman, Katherine S., et al. “Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities.J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, vol. 58, no. 12, Dec. 2003, pp. M1119–24. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/gerona/58.12.m1119.
Garman KS, Pieper CF, Seo P, Cohen HJ. Function in elderly cancer survivors depends on comorbidities. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Dec;58(12):M1119–M1124.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

DOI

ISSN

1079-5006

Publication Date

December 2003

Volume

58

Issue

12

Start / End Page

M1119 / M1124

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Sickness Impact Profile
  • Sex Distribution
  • Risk Assessment
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Probability
  • Neoplasms
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Multivariate Analysis