Patient-reported cognitive complaints in older adults with gastrointestinal malignancies at diagnosis- Results from the Cancer & Aging Resilience Evaluation (CARE) study

Objectives: Patient-reported cognitive complaint (CI) is poorly described in older adults with cancer. The purpose of this study was to quantify the prevalence and examine the associations of patient-reported CI in older adults with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies at diagnosis.

Materials and methods: Using participants ≥60 years with GI malignancies from the Cancer & Aging Resilience Evaluation (CARE) Registry that underwent a Geriatric Assessment (GA), we examined CI using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Short Form 4a Cognitive Function. Cognition scores were dichotomized into normal (scores of 15-20) and impaired (4-14), and bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine associations.

Results: A total of 264 participants with GI malignancy were included, mean age of 70.0 ± 7.1, 55.7% male, pancreatic cancer was the most common cancer (24.2%) and majority were stage III/IV (68.2%). 29.3% of participants endorsed CI. CI was not associated with demographic and clinical domains, but was associated with many GA impairments including instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADL) impairment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 6.0, 95% confidence interval 3.0-11.8), falls (aOR 2.7, 1.4-5.4), anxiety (aOR 10.3, 5.2-20.4), and depression (aOR 10.2, 5.2-20.4). CI was also associated with reduced global mental (aOR 18.7, 8.1-42.2) and physical (aOR 4.7, 2.4-8.9) quality of life, and prior hospitalizations (aOR 2.4, 1.2-4.8).

Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of patient-reported CI in older adults with GI malignancies that was associated with increased GA impairments, reduced health-related quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization.