title: The fall rate of older community-dwelling cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the incidence of falls in cancer patients receiving cancer treatment. The aims were to explore the number of falls older adults report in the 6 months after cancer diagnosis, and if those with a fall were more frail than those who did not fall.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary data analysis of a prospective pilot study that recruited patients aged 65 and older with a new cancer diagnosis. At each interview (baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up), participants were asked if they had a fall in the previous 3 months. The frailty markers and functional status were obtained at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up. Chi-square and t tests were used to compare those who had a fall to those who had no fall. Univariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between sociodemographic and health characteristics and reporting a fall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen participants (18.7%) reported one or more falls in the first 6 months after cancer diagnosis. Fifteen participants reported one or more falls in the 3 months prior to the cancer diagnosis. Those who had a fall and those with no fall were not different in terms of health and functioning. None of the sociodemographic and health characteristics including the frailty markers were associated with a fall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fall is common in cancer patients. More research is needed to examine the risk factors for a fall in older adults receiving cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. martine.puts@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Martine T E
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Puts
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Monette
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Girre
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolfson
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monette
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Batist
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors