Fall Risk of Community-dwelling Cancer Survivors With Objective Measures of Gait and Balance

摘要

Falls are the leading cause of injuries, hospital visits, nursing home admissions, and reduced quality of life in older adults; resulting in $35,000 average hospital cost per fall and a total of $34 billion in medical costs. Recent reports suggest that falls increase by 25-50% in cancer patients both during and after cancer treatment. Cancer and cancer treatments often cause loss of strength, decreased coordination and sensation, and decline in balance and gait Yet, falls in cancer patients remain largely unrecognized and under-treated, likely because there are no easily obtained clinical metrics which indicate fall risk that have been validated in the oncology setting.