According to the new research published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults with lung cancer may experience decline in life-space mobility during lung cancer treatment. The study has been published online on October 5. In this study, the researchers found that the life-space assessment (LSA) declined 10.1 points from pre-treatment to one month and remained stable for six months. At one month, LSA decline was greater among those with high anxiety. The improvement from one to six months was associated with pre-treatment body mass index.
This study involved 93 older adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer starting palliative chemotherapy, immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy from Comprehensive Cancer Center, Veterans Affairs, or safety-net clinic. The team of researchers assessed characteristics associated with pretreatment life-space mobility and changes during non-small cell lung cancer treatment. Among 93 participants aged 65 to 94 years, the average pre-treatment score was 67. The score declined 10 points on an average from pretreatment to one month after treatment started and then it remained low at six months.
They also found that the decline at one month was greater among patients with high anxiety. Also, a lower body mass index prior to starting treatment was linked with improvement in score during lung cancer treatment. The lead author Melisa L. Wong, MD, MAS, of the University of California, San Francisco said, “Life-space mobility is a well-studied patient-centered outcome in general aging research but is only now being examined for older adults with cancer.” “Our study’s novel design provided a unique lens into how quantitative changes in life-space mobility are experienced qualitatively by older adults with lung cancer,” he added.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical issues.
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