Purpose  

With the increasing number of elderly patients suffering from cancer, comorbidity and functional impairment become common problems in patients with cancer. Both comorbidity and functional impairment are associated with a shorter survival time in cancer patients, but their independent role has rarely been addressed before.

Methods  

Within a prospective trial we recruited 427 cancer patients, irrespective of age and type of cancer, admitted as inpatients prior to the start of chemotherapy. Comorbidity was assessed with the cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS-G), functional impairment with WHO performance status (WHO-PS), basal (ADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living.

Results  

Median follow-up was 34.2 months. A total, 61.4%. of patients died. Median survival time was 21.0 months. Age, kind of tumour (solid vs. haematological), treatment approach (non-curative vs. curative), WHO-PS (2–4 vs. 0–1), IADL (<8 vs. 8), and severe comorbidity (CIRS-level 3–4 vs. none) were significantly associated with shorter survival time in univariate analysis. In a multivariate Cox-regression-analysis, age (HR 1.019; 95%-CI 1.007–1.032; P = 0.003), kind of tumour (HR 1.832; 95%-CI 1.314–2.554; P < 0.001), WHO-PS (HR 1.455; 95%-CI 1.059–2.000; P = 0.021), and comorbidity level 3–4 (HR 1.424; 95%-CI 1.012–2.003; P = 0.043) maintained their significant association.

Conclusions  

Age, severe comorbidity, functional impairment, and kind of tumour are independently related to shorter survival time in cancer patients.