A recent study led by Jennifer L. Patnaik, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado Denver, Aurora that was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows higher rates of mortality in older breast cancer patients with other health problems (‘comorbidities’) in contrast to patients without these problems. Common ‘comorbidities’ in breast cancer patients are heart attack and other cardiovascular illness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ulcers and diabetes.

Although previous studies have shown that there are higher rates of death and poor overall survival among breast cancer patients who have associated comorbidities, the researchers in this study monitored the association among 13 individual comorbid conditions and survival.

A total of 64,034 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 1992 and 2000 were identified by scientists using Epidemiology, the Surveillance, and End Results-Medicare database. All women were of age 66 years or above.

The results of the study revealed that 42% of these women had a history of one or more of 13 conditions – congestive heart failure, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver disease, heart attack, paralysis, peripheral vascular disease, previous cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers, dementia, and diabetes.

“careful attention to the appropriate management of comorbid conditions, as well as to the management of a patient’s cancer, may result in longer overall survival for older breast cancer patients.”

A large percentage of breast cancer patients are older women who have comorbidities – it is important to study this disease condition in them. This was stressed upon and discussed by Worta McCaskill-Stevens, M.D., and Jeff Abrams, M.D., of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda in an Additional Editorial. They further state that the result of these studies “are provocative, recommending individualized care to the patients with co-morbidities and the disease should be co-managed between oncologists and primary care physicians.”

Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Written by Brian Windsor