ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2959

Interdiscplinary - Other

ESTRO 2024

Multinomial logistic regression (Table 1A) indicated that the risk of having a more advanced disease stage decreased with increasing age and decreased with higher level of comorbidities. The risk of having loco-regional and distant stages was higher in male patients, while no significant differences were found between male and female patients in terms of missing stage when compared to the local stage. The risk of having more advanced stages varied across different disease sites using breast cancer as reference. Patients living in medium and high socio-economic positions had a higher chance of being diagnosed with missing stage compared to the local stage when considering all patients. These observations were the same in patients treated with radiotherapy except for economic positions (Table 1B). Notably, more pronounced associations between stage and comorbidity levels were seen in patients receiving radiotherapy at part of their treatment.

Repeating the analysis for radiotherapy-treated patients stratified by disease type and adjusted for socio economic status, age, and sex, the risk of having a more advanced disease stage predominantly decreased with a higher level of comorbidities in lung, digestive organ, skin, and blood cancers (data not shown). For patients with breast cancer, a higher risk of having loco-regional and distant stages was obsereved in those with severe level of comorbidities.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that an increased burden of comorbidities is associated with earlier cancer stage diagnoses. However, the influence of patient comorbidity on cancer stage at diagnosis varies significantly, depending on the specific cancer type, individual comorbid conditions, and the overall comorbidity burden. These findings may encourage further early detection strategies in cancer patients, ultimately resulting in more effective cancer care and improved patient outcomes.