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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 9/2007

01-09-2007 | Original Article

Co-morbidity and functional deficits independently contribute to quality of life before chemotherapy in elderly cancer patients

Authors: Ulrich Wedding, Bernd Röhrig, Almuth Klippstein, Christina Brix, Ludger Pientka, Klaus Höffken

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 9/2007

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Abstract

Goal of the work

The quality of life (QoL) of patients with cancer is a major area of concern for both patients and their physicians. The independent contribution of functional impairment and co-morbidity to QoL is unclear.

Materials and methods

We investigated initial global QoL in 477 patients: 195 cancer patients aged 60 years or older (group A), 152 cancer patients below the age of 60 years (group B), admitted as inpatients for chemotherapy initiation and 130 patients aged 60 years or older admitted for non-cancer-related disorders (group C). Global QoL was assessed by the EORTC-QLQ-C30 subscale, functional status by the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, and co-morbidity by the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS).

Results

In multivariate analyses, global QoL is significantly associated with KPS, IADL and co-morbidity in group A (r 2 = 0.27), with KPS and IADL in group B (r 2 = 0.23), and with age, KPS and IADL in group C (r 2 = 0.38).

Conclusions

IADL contributes to global QoL in addition to the known effect of KPS. In addition, co-morbidity independently influences global QoL in elderly cancer patients.
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Metadata
Title
Co-morbidity and functional deficits independently contribute to quality of life before chemotherapy in elderly cancer patients
Authors
Ulrich Wedding
Bernd Röhrig
Almuth Klippstein
Christina Brix
Ludger Pientka
Klaus Höffken
Publication date
01-09-2007
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 9/2007
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-007-0228-9

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