Cancer Care in Patients with Comorbid Dementia
Summary
Patients living with both cancer and dementia represent a rapidly growing population in ageing societies worldwide. Dementia complicates the entire cancer trajectory, from initial staging through treatment decisions, symptom management and end-of-life care. Cognitive impairment may delay diagnosis, reduce the likelihood of standard curative interventions and increase reliance on emergency services. Families and healthcare teams face complex ethical and practical dilemmas when capacity is diminished, requiring repeated consultations and flexible scheduling. People with comorbid dementia are more likely to receive less aggressive oncology treatments and experience poorer survival, yet may benefit disproportionately from supportive and palliative approaches tailored to preserve quality of life. Holistic, person-centred models emphasise reasonable adjustments in communication, collaboration with caregivers and proactive symptom control. This integrated framework aims to minimise treatment burden, uphold autonomy where possible and address the heightened caregiver strain. Emerging guidelines advocate cross-disciplinary pathways that balance oncological efficacy with cognitive considerations, ensuring equitable access to screening, investigation and symptom relief for this vulnerable group.
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Cancer Care in Patients with Comorbid Dementia publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cancer care in patients with comorbid dementia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Comorbidity: Coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in a single patient.
Palliative care: Multidisciplinary approach focused on symptom relief, psychosocial support and quality-of-life enhancement.
Curative treatment: Therapy aimed at complete eradication of cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Person-centred care: Model of care that prioritises individual preferences, values and needs in clinical decision-making.
References
- Cancer care for people with dementia: Literature overview and recommendations for practice and research. CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2022).
- The Impact of Dementia on Cancer Treatment Decision-Making, Cancer Treatment, and Mortality: A Mixed Studies Review. JNCI Cancer Spectrum (2021).
- Patterns of staging, treatment, and mortality in gastric, colorectal, and lung cancer among older adults with and without preexisting dementia: a Japanese multicentre cohort study. BMC Cancer (2023).
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