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Characteristics of older newly diagnosed cancer patients refusing cancer treatments

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Abstract

Purpose

With the aging of the population, there will be an increase in the number of older adults diagnosed with cancer. Little is known about the characteristics of older newly diagnosed cancer patients who refuse cancer treatment and how often they refuse. The aim of this paper was to describe the health and functional status characteristics of patients who refused cancer treatment.

Methods

A prospective pilot study on health and vulnerability in older newly diagnosed cancer patients was conducted in the Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada. One hundred-twelve patients agreed to participate (response 72%). Health and functional status were assessed during the baseline interview; information on cancer treatment was obtained from the medical chart at baseline, 3 and 6 months follow-up. Descriptive techniques such as frequencies and means were used to describe the health and functional status of patients who refused treatment.

Results

Of the 112 participants, 17 (15.2%) refused cancer treatment partially or completely. Of those 17, 15 were women and 2 men. Fifteen participants refused a part of their treatment upfront. Two refused all further treatment after severe toxicity. The majority of participants refusing cancer treatment were women with breast cancer and they mostly refused adjuvant chemotherapy. Participants who refused often lived alone, were less often married/living common-law, had activities of daily living disability, and often had early disease.

Conclusion

The majority of older newly diagnosed cancer patients underwent the recommended cancer treatment but partial or complete cancer treatment refusal in older newly diagnosed cancer patients was not uncommon.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all of the participants who gave of their time during a very difficult period of their life to participate in our study. In addition we very much appreciate the support of staff and volunteers of the Segal Cancer Centre. This study was supported through a post-PhD research fellowship of the Canadian Cancer Society/National Cancer Institute of Canada to Dr. MTE Puts. The study was sponsored Solidage McGill University/Université de Montreal Research Group on Frailty and Aging and the McGill Dr. Joseph Kaufman Chair in Geriatric Medicine.

Conflict of interest

There was no conflict of interest.

Disclosures

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McGill University-Université de Montréal Solidage Research Group on Frailty and Aging, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Martine T. E. Puts, Johanne Monette, Veronique Girre, Michèle Monette & Howard Bergman

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Martine T. E. Puts & Christina Wolfson

  3. Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, M5T1P8, ON, Canada

    Martine T. E. Puts

  4. Division of Geriatric Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Johanne Monette

  5. Institut Curie, Department of Medical Oncology, Paris, France

    Veronique Girre

  6. Division of Clinical Epidemiology, McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Christina Wolfson

  7. Department of Oncology, Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Johanne Monette, Gerald Batist & Howard Bergman

  8. Solidage Research Group on Frailty and Aging, Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Howard Bergman

Authors
  1. Martine T. E. Puts
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  2. Johanne Monette
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  3. Veronique Girre
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  4. Christina Wolfson
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  5. Michèle Monette
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  6. Gerald Batist
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  7. Howard Bergman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martine T. E. Puts.

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Puts, M.T.E., Monette, J., Girre, V. et al. Characteristics of older newly diagnosed cancer patients refusing cancer treatments. Support Care Cancer 18, 969–974 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0883-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0883-0

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