Cancer survivors suffer faster physical decline as they age
CANCER survivors age faster than people who have never had the disease, a study found.
Researchers from the US analysed more than 1,700 people aged between 22 and 100 to see how their physical function deteriorated over time.
Some 359 of them had a history of cancer and suffered a decline in physical ability quicker than the control group of people who never had cancer.
The most commonly reported cancer types were prostate (38.7 per cent), breast (17 per cent), and melanoma (15 per cent).
When researchers analysed the data and accounted for age, sex, race, BMI, and comorbidities, older participants over the age of 65 who had a history of cancer were 61 per cent more likely to have a slow walking speed.
The average walking speed in cancer survivors was also 0.13mph slower than those with no cancer history.
However, there was no drop-off in walking speed for young survivors, indicating that cancer’s acceleration of a person’s ageing process is only felt in later life. “Findings from our study add to the evidence that cancer and its treatment may have adverse effects on ageing-related processes, putting cancer survivors at risk for accelerated functional decline,” said senior author Dr Lisa Gallicchio of the National Cancer Institute.
“Understanding which cancer survivors are at highest risk, and when the accelerated decline in physical functioning is most likely to begin, is important in developing interventions to prevent, mitigate, or reverse the adverse ageing-related effects of cancer and its treatment.”
Writing in the paper, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the researchers say it is not yet possible to say whether the advanced ageing is caused by cancer, or treatments.
“However, this study reinforces the need to develop intervention studies to prevent or mitigate cancer- and cancer treatment-associated functional decline,” they write.
“Ultimately, these types of interventions, [which] could potentially include exercise therapy, nutrition, novel pharmacological therapeutics, or supportive care strategies, may help to reduce the adverse ageing effects experienced by many cancer survivors.”