Quality of Life of Caregivers Supporting an Older Adult With Cancer

The French population is aging, and the number of newly diagnosed cancers among individuals aged 75 years and older continues to increase. The development of geriatric medicine, and particularly geriatric oncology, in collaboration with surgical and medical oncology specialists, has expanded access to innovative anticancer therapies for older adults. Although these treatments have improved therapeutic options, they are associated with adverse effects that may lead to functional decline and reduced quality of life in older patients. These consequences may also adversely affect the well-being and quality of life of their informal caregivers.

The role of informal caregivers has progressively become an integral component of cancer care. It is well established that providing care to a relative with a chronic illness can negatively impact caregivers' physical and psychological health, as well as their quality of life. While older patients are increasingly monitored through specialized geriatric oncology consultations, caregivers rarely receive systematic assessment or follow-up. Understanding the factors associated with caregiver quality of life is therefore essential to improve comprehensive patient-centered care in geriatric oncology.

This prospective observational study aims to investigate the association between baseline comprehensive geriatric assessment parameters of older patients with cancer-including functional status, nutritional status, cognition, mood, physical performance, sensory impairment, and comorbidities-and the quality of life of their caregiver. Caregiver quality of life will be assessed using the validated CarGOQoL questionnaire. Patient-caregiver dyads will be followed for six months, corresponding to the usual period for evaluating treatment tolerance and effectiveness. The findings may help identify caregivers at risk of impaired quality of life and support the integration of caregiver assessment into routine geriatric oncology practice.