Factors associated with falls in older women with breast cancer: the use of a brief geriatric screening tool in clinic

Unintentional falls and breast cancer are common among older women, but the associations between them are understudied. We aimed to identify factors associated with falls in older women with breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of older women with breast cancer at Duke Medical Center who had completed the Senior Adult Oncology Program geriatric assessment. Characteristics were compared between women had had at least one fall in the past year and those who did not. Pearson’s Chi-square tests and t tests were used for comparison of groups’ characteristics. Logistic regression determined factors associated with falling. We identified 425 women, age 76.2 years (range 65–89 years), at the time of the assessment. 118 (27.8%) women reported a fall in the prior year. Age, race, ethnicity, and time since diagnosis (all p > 0.05) were similar between groups. In univariate analyses, metastatic disease (p = 0.023) and history of endocrine therapy (p = 0.042) were more common among women who fell. Women who fell had lower systolic (p = 0.001), diastolic (p