Approved Research

Associations between multimorbidity and breast cancer survival: A UK Biobank Cohort cross-sectional study

Lay summary

Associations between multimorbidity and breast cancer survival: A UK Biobank Cohort cross-sectional study

Globally, breast cancer is the most typically diagnosed cancer among women. Age significantly impacts breast cancer, with older adults experiencing the most significant incidence rates. In the UK, between 2016 and 2018, on average, each year, 24% of new cases were in adults 75 and older. The occurrence of multiple chronic conditions in a person is referred to as multimorbidity. Comorbidity and multimorbidity are frequently used interchangeably. Compared to younger persons, multimorbidity is more common in older adults. People with common multimorbidity, especially older people who are most prone to developing cancer, are frequently excluded from clinical studies that guide cancer care. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how these specific diseases and their combinations impact breast cancer survival.

This research will investigate multimorbidity and breast cancer survival in the UK Biobank cohort. It will explore the association between multimorbidity and ethnicity as well as age  in breast cancer survival.

This work aligns with the UK Biobank's objective to advance the early detection, prevention, and treatment of significant illnesses, including breast cancer. This research will aid the proper identification and understanding of these associations between multimorbidity and breast cancer survival. The findings will improve breast cancer management strategies in routine clinical practice.

This study will use clinical data linkages and breast cancer outcomes data for the entire cohort to assess the pre-existing multimorbidity and their impact on breast cancer survival. The association between multimorbidity and breast cancer survival will be investigated using advanced statistical techniques and machine learning approaches.