Cancer in Moroccan elderly: the first multicenter transverse study exploring the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical profile and quality of life of elderly Moroccan cancer patients

Abstract

Background Moroccan incidence of cancer is increasing with the lengthening of life expectancy. Data regarding elderly Moroccan cancer patients are lacking. In the context of our project aiming to develop an adapted version of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment CGA to the Moroccan population, we launched the first Moroccan multicenter transverse study to explore the characteristics of elderly Moroccan cancer patients. Methods The study was conducted in nine Moroccan medical oncology departments. Patients were enrolled over 4 months. Inclusion criteria were patients aged 65 years or over with verified solid cancer. The questionnaire included four sections: socio-demographic and economic data, clinical data, vulnerability and EORTC-QLQ C30. We explored the entire included population. Then, we compared the results according to age (65–70 years old and ≥ 71 years old) and sex. We also explored the correlation between G8 scores and the ability to practice religion as an indicator of fitness level. Results In total, 164 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 73.18 ± 6.01 years. The majority of patients were married, lived with their children and received their financial income from them. Fifteen percent of families asked to hide the diagnosis from the patient. Breast (23%), colorectal (15.9%) and lung (14%) cancers were the most frequent, and 83.5% had an abnormal G8. The majority of the patients were independent for basic daily activities. Female patients had poorer social and economic conditions. Abnormal G8 was correlated with religious practice and quality of life scores. Conclusion This is the first multicenter prospective study designed to collect data on the lifestyle and clinical profiles of elderly Moroccan cancer patients as an Arab and Muslim population. Our study shows that it is a well-cared-for population with strong social ties. However, there is deep economic vulnerability, especially among women, requiring urgent care. Religious practice is an important daily activity for our elderly patients and should be included in the Moroccan CGA.

Self-reported Morbidities, Nutritional Characteristics, and associated factors in Institutionalized and Non-Institutionalized Elderly

“…Furthermore, when comparing groups of institutionalized elders, the average age does not exceed 71 years; this result does not corroborate with those in the literature [12,13]. A survey revealed that the risk of institutionalization is higher among people over 80 years of age [2,11,12].…”

“…In Morocco, the elderly are expected to represent 23.2% of the population in 2050 against 9.4% in 2014 [11]. The aging urges the government to anticipate and develop new strategies to meet the needs of specialized care of the elderly.…”

“…The aging urges the government to anticipate and develop new strategies to meet the needs of specialized care of the elderly. Thus, there is a signi cant lack of specialized care intended for older people because there were few residences entirely dedicated throughout the country, managed by nonpro t associations [11]. Furthermore, many elderly are now living alone due to massive youth immigration, falling death rates, major advances in healthcare and social change.…”

Self-reported morbidities, nutritional characteristics, and associated factors in institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults

“…In Morocco, older adults are expected to represent 23.2% in 2050 against 9.4% in 2014 [ 11 ]. The aging urges the government to develop new strategies to meet the needs of specialized care of older adults.…”

“…The aging urges the government to develop new strategies to meet the needs of specialized care of older adults. Thus, there is a significant lack of specialized care intended for this category because there were few residences entirely dedicated throughout the country, managed by non-profit associations [ 11 ]. Furthermore, many older adults are now living alone due to massive youth immigration, falling death rates, major advances in healthcare and social change.…”