Associations between lifestyle factors and quality of life among older long‐term breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 115; no. 17; pp. 4001 - 4009
• Main Authors: Mosher, Catherine E., Sloane, Richard, Morey, Miriam C., Snyder, Denise Clutter, Cohen, Harvey J., Miller, Paige E., Demark‐Wahnefried, Wendy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-09-2009; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; breast carcinoma; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - therapy; Diet; Exercise; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; health; Health Behavior; Humans; Life Style; Male; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; physical activity; prostate carcinoma; Prostatic Neoplasms - therapy; Quality of Life; Survivors; survivorship; Tumors; Physical exercise; Prostate carcinoma; survivorship; Rectal disease; Breast disease; Prostate disease; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal cancer; Breast carcinoma; Cancerology; Intestinal disease; Male genital diseases; Age; Human; Urinary system disease; Nutrition; Health; Survivor; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Long term; Feeding; Quality of life; physical activity; Colonic disease; Mammary gland diseases; Diet; Digestive diseases; Prostate cancer; Elderly; Cancer; Life style
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24436

BACKGROUND:
Older cancer survivors are at increased risk for secondary cancers, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and functional decline and, thus, may benefit from health‐related interventions. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the health behaviors of older cancer survivors and the associations of those behaviors with quality‐of‐life outcomes, especially during the long‐term post‐treatment period.
METHODS:
In total, 753 older (aged ≥65 years) long‐term survivors (≥5 years postdiagnosis) of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer completed 2 baseline telephone interviews to assess their eligibility for a diet and exercise intervention trial. The interviews assessed exercise, diet, weight status, and quality of life.
RESULTS:
Older cancer survivors reported a median of 10 minutes of moderate‐to‐vigorous exercise per week, and only 7% had Healthy Eating Index scores >80 (indicative of healthful eating habits relative to national guidelines). Despite their suboptimal health behaviors, survivors reported mental and physical quality of life that exceeded age‐related norms. Greater exercise and better diet quality were associated with better physical quality‐of‐life outcomes (eg, better vitality and physical functioning; P < .05), whereas greater body mass index was associated with reduced physical quality of life (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS:
The current results indicated a high prevalence of suboptimal health behaviors among older, long‐term survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer who were interested in lifestyle modification. In addition, the findings pointed to the potential negative impact of obesity and the positive impact of physical activity and a healthy diet on physical quality of life in this population. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Little is known regarding older cancer survivors' health behaviors and their associations with quality‐of‐life outcomes, especially during the long‐term post‐treatment period. The findings from this study suggested that many older long‐term survivors of prostate, colorectal, and breast cancer practice suboptimal health habits and that improvements in diet, exercise, and body weight status may favorably influence physical quality‐of‐life outcomes.