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Falls in older adults with cancer: a systematic review of prevalence, injurious falls, and impact on cancer treatment

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this systematic review was to update and expand the existing systematic review with the aim to answer the following questions: (1) How often do older adults (OA)s with cancer fall? (2) What are the predictors of falls in OA with cancer? (3) What is the rate of injurious falls and predictors of injurious falls in OA with cancer? (4) What are the circumstances and outcomes of falls in this population? (5) How do falls in cancer patients affect subsequent cancer treatment?

Methods

Medline, Pubmed, Embase, and CINAHL were searched. Eligible studies included clinical trials, cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, and qualitative studies in which the entire sample or a sub-group of the sample were OA aged 60 and above, had cancer, in which falls were examined as a primary or secondary outcome and published in English.

Results

Twenty-seven studies met our inclusion criteria with most involving the outpatient setting. Fall rates and injurious fall rates varied widely. Consistent predictors of falls were prior falls among outpatients and cognitive impairment among inpatients. There were no data on impact of falls on cancer treatment. Data on circumstances of falls were limited.

Conclusion

Falls and fall-related injuries are common in older cancer patients. However, little is known about circumstances of falls and impact of falls on cancer treatment. Many known fall predictors in community-dwelling OA have not been explored in oncology. More research is needed to address gaps in these areas.

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Acknowledgment

This work was not supported by any funds/grants.

Author contributions

S. Sattar:

  • Conception and design of the study

  • Acquisition of data

  • Analysis and interpretation of data

  • Drafting manuscript

  • Critically revising manuscript for important intellectual content

  • Approval of final version

S.M.H. Alibhai:

  • Conception and design of the study

  • Analysis and interpretation of data

  • Critically revising manuscript for important intellectual content

  • Approval of final version

S. Spoelstra:

  • Conception and design of the study

  • Analysis and interpretation of data

  • Critically revising manuscript for important intellectual content

  • Approval of final version

R. Fazelzad:

  • Acquisition of data

  • Critically revising manuscript for important intellectual content

  • Approval of final version

M.T.E. Puts:

  • Conception and design of the study

  • Analysis and interpretation of data

  • Critically revising manuscript for important intellectual content

  • Approval of final version

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite, Toronto, ON, 130M5T 1P8, Canada

    Schroder Sattar & Martine T. E. Puts

  2. Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University Health Network and University of Toronto, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, M5G 2C4, Canada

    Shabbir M. H. Alibhai

  3. Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University, 301 Michigan Street, NE, Michigan, MI, 49502, USA

    Sandra L. Spoelstra

  4. Library and Information Services, University Health Network, 5-407, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada

    Rouhi Fazelzad

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  1. Schroder Sattar
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Sattar, S., Alibhai, S.M.H., Spoelstra, S.L. et al. Falls in older adults with cancer: a systematic review of prevalence, injurious falls, and impact on cancer treatment. Support Care Cancer 24, 4459–4469 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3342-8

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