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Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Leach, CR; Bellizzi, KM; Hurria, A; Reeve, BB
Published in: Cancer
June 15, 2016

BACKGROUND: The extent to which cancer exacerbates or creates new health conditions is a long-standing, unanswered question. The current prospective study examined the short-term impact of cancer on the functioning, development of, and worsening of age-related health conditions among older adults who develop cancer compared with age-matched controls. METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data were linked with Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) data. A total of 921 eligible cases were Medicare beneficiaries with diagnosis of breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer made between their baseline and follow-up MHOS. Using propensity score matching, 4605 controls without cancer were matched from the MHOS. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression were used to examine changes in physical functioning, activities of daily living, age-related conditions, and exacerbation of preexisting conditions for cases compared with controls. RESULTS: Cancer groups demonstrated greater declines in activities of daily living and physical function compared with controls (mean, -1.53 [standard error, 0.14]), with the greatest change noted for patients with lung cancer (mean, -6.72 [standard error, 0.94]). Having a cancer diagnosis increased the risk of depression but did not increase the odds of developing arthritis in the hand and/or hip, urinary incontinence (except for prostate cancer), or vision and/or hearing problems. Having a cancer diagnosis also did not exacerbate the severity of arthritis or foot neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study suggest that cancer is a stronger driver for declines in physical functioning and an increased risk of depression in older adults. Interventions are needed to decrease these risks. Clinicians need to prepare patients and families for changes in functioning levels and interventions that limit the declines for older patients with cancer are needed. Cancer 2016;122:1946-53. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

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Published In

Cancer

DOI

EISSN

1097-0142

Publication Date

June 15, 2016

Volume

122

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1946 / 1953

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • SEER Program
  • Prospective Studies
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Medicare
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Case-Control Studies
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Leach, C. R., Bellizzi, K. M., Hurria, A., & Reeve, B. B. (2016). Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors. Cancer, 122(12), 1946–1953. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.29914
Leach, Corinne R., Keith M. Bellizzi, Arti Hurria, and Bryce B. Reeve. “Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors.Cancer 122, no. 12 (June 15, 2016): 1946–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.29914.
Leach CR, Bellizzi KM, Hurria A, Reeve BB. Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors. Cancer. 2016 Jun 15;122(12):1946–53.
Leach, Corinne R., et al. “Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors.Cancer, vol. 122, no. 12, June 2016, pp. 1946–53. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/cncr.29914.
Leach CR, Bellizzi KM, Hurria A, Reeve BB. Is it my cancer or am i just getting older?: Impact of cancer on age-related health conditions of older cancer survivors. Cancer. 2016 Jun 15;122(12):1946–1953.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cancer

DOI

EISSN

1097-0142

Publication Date

June 15, 2016

Volume

122

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1946 / 1953

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • SEER Program
  • Prospective Studies
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Medicare
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Case-Control Studies