Symptomatology and loss of physical functioning among geriatric patients with lung cancer

In this study of 129 geriatric patients with lung cancer, we investigated how symptom severity varied according to treatment type, stage of disease, and gender; how change in physical functioning (prediagnosis versus post-hospital discharge) was predicted by symptomatology, prior physical functioning, comorbidity, and age; and whether differences exist according to stage of disease, treatment status, or gender. Data were gathered through patient interviews and audits of patient records. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques revealed that there were no significant differences in average symptom severity scores by gender, treatment categories, or stages of disease. Significant predictors of loss of physical functioning were symptom severity, prior physical functioning and patient age. Characteristics of a profile for elderly lung cancer patients at high risk of suffering substantial losses in physical functioning include higher prior levels of physical functioning, higher levels of current symptomatology, and lower age.