LOSS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AMONG GERIATRIC CANCER-PATIENTS - RELATIONSHIPS TO CANCER SITE, TREATMENT, COMORBIDITY AND AGE

This study investigated differences in physical functioning and physic al role limitations according to cancer site and treatment modality in a sample of 590 patients 65 years and older diagnosed with breast, co lon, lung or prostate cancer. Analysis of covariance procedures were u tilised to test for differences in levels of physical functioning and physical role limitations according to cancer site and treatment modal ity, adjusting for differences in age, comorbid conditions and retrosp ective physical functioning. Physical functioning and physical role li mitations were measured using two subscales of the Medical Outcomes St udies MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Physical functioni ng prior to diagnosis, and to a lesser degree comorbidity, contributed significantly to current levels of physical functioning and physical role limitations. Patients with lung cancer reported lower physical fu nctioning and physical role limitation scores than patients with prost ate cancer, and patients treated with surgery only reported lower phys ical functioning and physical role limitation scores than patients tre ated with neither surgery nor radiation. No gender differences were ob served among the reduced sample consisting of patients with colon or l ung cancer. It is important not only that physicians and oncologists a re cognizant of the fact that some cancers (particularly lung cancer) may be more physically debilitating than others, but that the patient' s history of comorbid conditions and pre-existing physical Limitations may be important factors in predicting current physical functioning. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.