title: The complex health profile of long-term cancer survivors: prevalence and predictors of comorbid conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adult cancer survivors have complex medical profiles that may include chronic conditions beyond cancer. Few studies have examined the prevalence of comorbidities before and after a cancer diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer cases were sampled from two California cancer registries to examine medical conditions (ever experienced and developed after cancer) among 1,527 long-term breast, prostate, colorectal, and gynecological cancer survivors by socio-demographic, cancer-related, and health behavior variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, survivors reported five medical conditions ever diagnosed (95 % CI, 4.8, 5.1) and 1.9 conditions (95 % CI, 1.8, 2.0) diagnosed after cancer. Breast cancer survivors reported the highest (5.8 ever, 2.9 post-cancer) and prostate survivors the lowest (4.0 ever, 1.0 post-cancer) comorbidity burden. Higher comorbidity burden was associated with older age, being a breast cancer survivor, divorced, widowed or separated, non-Hispanic White, overweight or obese, and not receiving chemotherapy. Breast and endometrial cancer survivors, as well as those more than 10 years post-diagnosis, obese, or physically inactive were more likely to report that these comorbidities occurred after cancer. Cancer treatment type, smoking, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, and education were not significant predictors of comorbidities acquired post-cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer survivors report a large number of medical conditions, many identified after a cancer diagnosis. Findings suggest that time since cancer diagnosis, body mass index, and activity level are important contextual variables when managing survivor's post-treatment follow-up care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivors may benefit when health professionals recommend specific strategies to achieve a healthy weight and regular physical activity for better long-term health outcomes after cancer.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams St 30303, Atlanta, GA, USA, corinne.leach@cancer.org.
authors.forename: Corinne R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Noreen M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bellizzi
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Laura P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Forsythe
authors.forename: Julia H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rowland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*