Physical Performance and Subsequent Disability and Survival in Older Adults with Malignancy: Results from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate objective physical performance measures as predictors of survival and subsequent disability in older patients with cancer. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twenty-nine individuals diagnosed with cancer during the first 6 years of follow-up of the Health ABC Study. MEASUREMENTS: The associations between precancer measures of physical performance (20-m usual gait speed, 400-m long-distance corridor walk (LDCW), and grip strength) and overall survival and a short-term outcome of 2-year progression to disability or death were evaluated. Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models, stratified for metastatic disease, respectively, were used for outcomes. RESULTS: Mean age was 77.2, 36.1% were women, and 45.7% were black. Faster 20-m usual walking speed was associated with a lower risk of death in the metastatic group (hazard ratio=0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.79-0.99) and lower 2-year progression to disability or death in the nonmetastatic group (odds ratio (OR)=0.77, 95% CI=0.64-0.94). Ability to complete the 400-m LDCW was associated with lower 2-year progression to disability or death in the nonmetastatic group (OR=0.24, 95% CI=0.10-0.62). There were no associations between grip strength and disability or death. CONCLUSION: Lower extremity physical performance tests (usual gait speed and 400-m LDCW) were associated with survival and 2-year progression to disability or death. Objective physical performance measures may help inform pretreatment evaluations in older adults with cancer.