Tumour-related co-morbidities in patients receiving palliative home care

Introduction: The frequency of the incidence of cancer disease as well as chronic internistic, neurological and other diseases is increasing with age.
Aim: The aim of the study was to determine age structure of patients with advanced cancer disease, to identify chronic co-morbidities and to define the dynamics of the increase in such diseases frequencies with age as well as to direct the attention to additional problems of palliative care in patients over the age of 60.
Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of 208 patients over the age of 18, with advanced cancer disease, receiving palliative home care for longer than 7 days in years 2005-2009, was conducted.
Results: Lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and kidney cancer were among the most often recognized tumours in this study. 40 patients under the age of 60 and 168 patients over the age of 60 participated in this study. The higher frequency of tumour-related co-morbidities was observed in patients over 60 years old in comparison with patients under the age of 60 (p < 0.001). Ischemic disease (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.002), peripheral vascular diseases (p < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus type II (p < 0.02) were much more frequent in patients over 60 years old.
Conclusion: Among patients receiving palliative home care, patients over 60 years old were most prevalent. Most of patient had additional co-morbidities. The calculation of costs of palliative care patients’ treatment should also take the possibility of co-morbidities treatment into consideration.