Author Affiliations: Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (Ms Blytt and Drs Drageset, Natvig, and Husebo) and Centre for Elderly and Nursing Home Medicine (Ms Blytt and Dr Husebo), University of Bergen; Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Ms Blytt); Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo; Ageing and Health, Norwegian Centre for Research, Education and Service Development, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tonsberg; and Centre for Old Age Psychiatry Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad (Dr Selbæk); Faculty for Health and Social Sciences, Bergen University College (Dr Drageset); and the Municipality of Bergen (Dr Husebo), Norway.
Life expectancy is increasing continuously, which increases the likelihood of developing dementia or cancer. Both dementia and cancer are serious conditions that give manifold symptoms. The interaction of these conditions is however complex and less explored.
The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of cancer and differences regarding neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and medication among nursing home (NH) patients with and without dementia and cancer.
This is a cross-sectional study of Norwegian NH patients (N = 1825). Participants were categorized according to degree of dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating > 1) and cancer diagnoses. Differences in NPS and other symptoms, as well as the use of medication, were explored.
Eighty-four percent of NH patients had dementia, and 5.5% had comorbid dementia and cancer. Patients with comorbid dementia and cancer received significantly more analgesics compared with patients without cancer but with dementia (P