Prediagnosis social support, social integration, living status, and colorectal cancer mortality in postmenopausal women from the women's health initiative. Issue 8 (23rd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kroenke, Candyce H.; Paskett, Electra D.; Cené, Crystal W.; Caan, Bette J.; Luo, Juhua; Shadyab, Aladdin H.; Robinson, Jamaica R. M.; Nassir, Rami; Lane, Dorothy S.; Anderson, Garnet L.
• Is Part Of: Cancer. Volume 126:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1766
• Page End: 1775
• Publication Date: 2020-01-23
• Subjects: colorectal cancer -- social networks -- social support -- social ties -- women; Cancer -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Cytopathology -- Periodicals; 616.99405
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32710
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-543X

Abstract

Abstract : Background: We evaluated associations between perceived social support, social integration, living alone, and colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes in postmenopausal women. Methods: The study included 1431 women from the Women's Health Initiative who were diagnosed from 1993 through 2017 with stage I through IV CRC and who responded to the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support survey before their CRC diagnosis. We used proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations of social support (tertiles) and types of support, assessed up to 6 years before diagnosis, with overall and CRC‐specific mortality. We also assessed associations of social integration and living alone with outcomes also in a subset of 1141 women who had information available on social ties (marital/partner status, community and religious participation) and living situation. Results: In multivariable analyses, women with low (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.23‐1.88) and moderate (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.98‐1.50) perceived social support had significantly higher overall mortality than those with high support ( P [continuous] < .001). Similarly, women with low (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.07‐1.88) and moderate (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.96‐1.70) perceived social support had higher CRC mortality than those with high social support ( P [continuous] = .007). Emotional, informational, and tangible support and positive interaction were all significantly associated with outcomes, whereas affection was not. In main‐effects analyses, the level of social integration was related to overall mortality ( P for trend = .02), but not CRC mortality ( P for trend = .25), and living alone was not associated with mortality outcomes. However, both the level of social integration and living alone were related to outcomes in patients with rectal cancer. Conclusions: Women with low perceived social support before diagnosis have higher overall and CRC‐specific mortality. Abstract : Women from the Women's Health Initiative with low perceived social support before a diagnosis of colorectal cancer have higher overall and disease‐specific mortality. Levels of social integration and living alone are related to outcomes in patients with rectal cancer only.