Functioning of older, long-term cancer survivors: the role of cancer and comorbidities

To examine the relative effect of comorbidities, noncancer symptoms, and cancer-related factors on the functioning of older adult long-term survivors of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

Data from in-person interviews with survivors of a tumor registry-based stratified random sample were used to test a multivariate model using ordinary least-squares regression.

Survivors were identified in the tumor registry of a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Three hundred twenty-one older (>or=60), long-term (>or=5 years) cancer survivors.

The primary outcome measure, functional difficulty, was measured using Nagi's Performance Limitations Index. Predictors included a number of indicators of survivors' personal characteristics, age-related health characteristics, and cancer-related characteristics.

The model explained 44% of the variance in functional difficulties between the cancer survivors in this sample. The strongest predictors were symptoms not attributed to cancer (beta=0.28) and comorbidities (beta=0.22), although cancer-related factors explained an additional 8% of the variance over that explained by demographic and noncancer health factors, with current cancer-related symptoms being a significant predictor (beta=0.14).

These findings indicate the importance of monitoring cancer-related characteristics along with comorbidities and noncancer symptoms in long-term survivors because they jointly affect overall physical functioning. Special attention needs to be given to women and minority cancer survivors as well.