Breast Cancer

Comorbidities to Breast Cancer

The most prevalent comorbidities related to carcinoma are hypertension (21.8%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (19.9%), rheumatologic disease (18.6%), and diabetes (16.7%), all four conditions are reported in around 75% of the cases.

Pre-existing comorbidities negatively impacts overall carcinoma prognosis, increasing both carcinoma specific deaths furthermore as death from competing causes. Improvements in carcinoma survival in recent decades, however, have primarily been experienced among cancer patients without comorbidities, and fewer so among those with moderate or severe comorbidities. Information regarding treatment effectiveness in carcinoma patients with comorbidities is currently lacking. This chapter describes the impact of comorbidities on carcinoma treatment and outcomes, previous research approaches taken, and specific populations that will be most prone to the results of comorbidities on carcinoma outcomes. Future research directions are suggested that will help to enhance understanding of comorbidity-related factors that underlie disparities in carcinoma outcomes, and to look at the potential role of effective management of comorbidities among carcinoma patients as a method to assist close gaps in disease prognosis.