Baseline: Cancer survivors were more at risk of reduced motility activity, which was associated with a greater risk of death.
Journal in which the study was published: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention, journal of the American Society for the Study of Cancer
Author: Elizabeth Salerno, PhD, MPH, professor of surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis. Louis, who conducted the research at the National Cancer Institute
Background: Diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been shown to be associated with poor functional health for common types of cancers, such as those of breast and prostate, but little is known about the link for other cancers, Salerno explained. “As people living with cancer live longer than ever before, gaining an understanding of how the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of cancers can affect mobile activity – a feature potential risk of change – leading to new treatment and rehabilitation strategies to improve the health of these. patients, “she explained.
How the Study Was Conducted: In this study, Salerno and colleagues investigated whether reduced movement activity was associated with different types of cancer, and whether movement activity was linked to survival. Salerno and colleagues examined data from the American National Association of People’s Health (AARP) Diet and Health Survey, which included more than 500,000 AARP members between the ages of 51 and 70. AARP members received a questionnaire assessing demographics, medical history , and a diet between 1995 and 1996 and a follow-up questionnaire between 2004 and 2006 assessing health status, lifestyle and motor activity, among other things. Movement function was determined by self-reported walking speed and mobility impairment.
Results: After banning individuals from reporting errors and incomplete questionnaires, the final sample included 30,403 cancer survivors and 202,732 people who were never diagnosed with cancer. The median age of the participants was 61.8 years, and the majority of individuals were classified as white (92.4 percent), male (56.7 percent), and in health. very good (56.4 per cent). A wide range of cancer types were represented in the study population, including cancers of the breast, respiratory system, lymphatic system, skin, genitourinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract, among others.
Salerno and colleagues found that cancer survivors were 42 percent more likely to report walking at the slowest pace compared to individuals without a cancer diagnosis. After adjusting for demographics, health status, cancer type, and body index, people who survived cancer had a 24 percent greater risk of mobility disability. Lower motility was associated with several types of cancer, and the strongest associations were observed for survivors of respiratory or oral cancer.
Slower walking speed and mobility disability were also associated with an increased risk for all-cause and specific cancer deaths in cancer survivors after adjusting for cancer demographics and characteristics. Survivors who reported walking at the slowest pace had more than two times greater risk of all-cause mortality and specific cancers compared to survivors who reported fast walking speeds. Similarly, those who survived with a mobility disability were 80 percent and 64 percent more at risk of specific mortality and specific cancer, respectively.
While slower walking speed and mobility impairment also increased the risk of mortality in non-cancerous individuals, Salerno and colleagues found that the link between circulatory function and mortality was greater for cancer survivors than for cancer survivors. e for cancer-free individuals. When compared to individuals without a cancer diagnosis who reported fast walking speed, cancer survivors with the slowest walking speed had a more than 10-fold risk of death; those without cancer with the slowest walking speed had tripled their risk of death.
Author comments: “Our findings suggest that functional health may be adversely affected by a wide range of cancer diagnoses and could be an important determinant of survival,” Salerno said. “There is still much to learn about these complex relationships, but our findings highlight the importance of monitoring, and even targeting, post-cancer mobile activity for survival benefits. , especially in older cancer survivors. ”
Future research from Salerno and colleagues will focus on understanding why some cancers had stronger links with mobile function and stronger links between mobile function and mortality. “More information about specific behavioral, biological, and cancer factors from before, during, and after diagnosis and treatment will be important to better identify these associations in specific types of cancer,” she said.
Study restrictions: The limitation of the study is that all data on walking speed and mobility disability were self-reported. While self-report is important for collecting extensive study data, it may not be as accurate as clinical measures, Salerno explained. In the future, Salerno is interested in studying the correlation between self-reported mobile activity and more targeted measures in the context of cancer and mortality. Additional limitations include the lack of complete treatment data, the fact that the number of survivors was relatively healthy and that disease was predominantly early stage, and the potential for more dense variables that were not. was controlled in the analyzes.
Funding & Publications: The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute ‘s Intramural Research Program, part of the National Institutes of Health. Salerno does not cite conflicts of interest.
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About the American Society for the Study of Cancer?
Founded in 1907, the American Society for the Study of Cancer (AACR) is the world’s first professional body dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and treat cancer. AACR membership includes 48,000? Laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates living in 127 countries. The AACR leads the full spectrum of cancer community expertise to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment by convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops each year – the largest of these AACR AGM, with more than 74,000 in attendance at meaningful 2020 meetings and over 22,500 for past personal meetings. In addition, the AACR publishes nine prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a journal for cancer survivors, patients, and their carers. The AACR funds worthy direct study as well as collaboration with several cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up? To? Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, donation management, and scientific oversight of team science and individual researcher contributions in cancer research with near-term patient benefit potential. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biochemical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information on the AACR, visit? Http: // www.
Embargoed for release: 3:05 am EST Thursday, March 4, 2021
To interview Elizabeth Salerno, contact Richard Lobb at [email protected] or 215-906-3322.