Physical functioning and depression among older persons with cancer

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to help identify factors to assess w hich elderly patients are likely to experience problems with physical and p sychological Functioning in association with cancer or its treatment. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: A study was undertaken with a sample of 420 patients with cancer who were between the ages of 65 and 98 years and had received a n incident diagnosis of breast, colon, lung, or prostate cancer, An analysi s of covariance technique was used to determine how cancer site, treatment type, stage of disease, gender, age, comorbidity, symptom severity, and pre diagnosis levels of physical functioning were related to physical functioni ng deficit, and how all of these in rum influenced patient depressive sympt omatology. RESULTS: Prediagnosis physical functioning, symptom severity, and days sinc e surgery were significant predictors of physical functioning deficit. Pati ents who had been treated only with surgery experienced greater physical fu nctioning deficits than did patients who had received both surgery and adju vant therapy. This apparent anomaly was partly explained by the time interv al from surgery to interview. Higher levels of symptom severity lower level s of prior physical functioning, and greater physical functioning deficits all predicted higher levels of depressive symptomatology. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In tilt: care of elderly patients with cancer, it is important for healthcare providers to consider the prediagnosis levels of physical functioning of patients with cancer to understand and anticipate t he physical and psychological consequences of cancer and its treatment. Equ ally important is the proper management of patient symptoms in maximizing b oth the physical and psychological quality of life.