Examination of individual and multiple comorbid conditions and health-related quality of life in older cancer survivors

Purpose Older cancer survivors (≥ 65 years at diagnosis) are at high-risk for multimorbidity (2 + comorbid conditions). However, few studies have utilized a generalizable sample of older cancer survivors to understand how individual comorbid conditions, as opposed to total comorbidity burden, are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We examined associations between HRQOL outcomes (pain, fatigue, physical function), individual comorbidities (cardiovascular disease [CVD], lung disease, diabetes, arthritis) and total comorbidity (cancer-only, cancer + 1 condition, cancer + 2 or more conditions). Methods Utilizing a population-based sample of 2019 older cancer survivors, we tested associations between comorbid conditions and the HRQOL outcomes using generalized linear models. HRQOL domains were assessed using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) measures. Comorbidity was assessed via self-report. Results Cancer survivors with lung disease reported significantly worse physical functioning (β = − 4.96, p