Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Puts, Martine T. E.
• Monette, Johanne
• Girre, Veronique
• Wolfson, Christina
• Monette, Michèle
• Batist, Gerald
• Bergman, Howard

Titel

The fall rate of older community-dwelling cancer patients

Ist Teil von

• Supportive care in cancer, 2013-03, Vol.21 (3), p.775-783

Ort / Verlag

Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Purpose Little is known about the incidence of falls in cancer patients receiving cancer treatment. The aims were to explore the number of falls older adults report in the 6 months after cancer diagnosis, and if those with a fall were more frail than those who did not fall. Methods Secondary data analysis of a prospective pilot study that recruited patients aged 65 and older with a new cancer diagnosis. At each interview (baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up), participants were asked if they had a fall in the previous 3 months. The frailty markers and functional status were obtained at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up. Chi-square and t tests were used to compare those who had a fall to those who had no fall. Univariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between sociodemographic and health characteristics and reporting a fall. Results Seventeen participants (18.7 %) reported one or more falls in the first 6 months after cancer diagnosis. Fifteen participants reported one or more falls in the 3 months prior to the cancer diagnosis. Those who had a fall and those with no fall were not different in terms of health and functioning. None of the sociodemographic and health characteristics including the frailty markers were associated with a fall. Conclusion A fall is common in cancer patients. More research is needed to examine the risk factors for a fall in older adults receiving cancer treatment.