Systematic review of prevalence of comorbidities in cancer patients

Comorbidities can have major implications for cancer care, as they might impact the timing of cancer diagnosis, compromise optimal care, affect treatment outcomes, and increase health care costs. A systematic review of published studies (1990-2020) investigated the prevalence and types of comorbidities for the five most common forms of cancer. The weighed average comorbidity prevalence was 33.4%, and comorbiditeis were most common in lung cancer (46.7%) and colorectal cancer (40.0%), followed by prostate cancer (28.5%), melanoma (28.3%), and breast cancer (22.4%). The most common types of comorbidities were hypertension (29.7%), pulmonary diseases (15.9%), and diabetes (13.5%). Over the study period, a significant increase in comorbidities of 0.54% per year was observed. The authors conclude that a large and increasing proportion of cancer patients is dealing with comorbidities.