The burden of chronic diseases among Australian cancer patients: Evidence from a longitudinal exploration, 2007-2017

Introduction: Cancer is a major public health concern in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several types of cancer patients suffer from chronic comorbid conditions that are a major clinical challenge for treatment and cancer management. The main objective of this study was to investigate the distribution of the burden of chronic comorbid conditions and associated predictors among cancer patients in Australia over the period of 2007–2017. Methods: The study employed a prospective longitudinal design using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The number of chronic comorbid conditions was measured for each respondent. The longitudinal effect was captured using a fixed-effect negative binomial regression model, which predicted the potential factors that played a significant role in the occurrence of chronic comorbid conditions. Results: Sixty-one percent of cancer patients experienced at least one chronic disease over the period, and 21% of patients experienced three or more chronic diseases. Age (>65 years old) (incidence rate ratio, IRR = 1.15; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.05, 1.40), inadequate levels of physical activity (IRR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.59), patients who suffered from extreme health burden (IRR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.73, 3.05) or moderate health burden (IRR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.45, 2.48), and patients living in the poorest households (IRR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.29) were significant predictors associated with a higher risk of chronic comorbid conditions. Conclusions: A large number of cancer patients experience an extreme burden of chronic comorbid conditions and the different dimensions of these in cancer survivors have the potential to affect the trajectory of their cancer burden. It is also significant for health care providers, including physical therapists and oncologists, who must manage the unique problems that challenge this population and who should advocate for prevention and evidence-based interventions.