Looking after a person with cancer is associated with a variety of statistically significant impairments compared with non-caregivers.

Dr Isabelle Gilloteau from Bristol-Myers Squibb and colleagues obtained data from the 2010 and 2011 EU National Health and Wellness Surveys, self-administered online surveys of 105,581 adults in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

They found that relative to non-caregivers, people who cared for cancer patients reported that they experienced worse physical (47.6 vs. 48.9) and mental health (43.7 vs. 46.9), were more likely to be absent from work (8.1 vs. 4.8), were more impaired in their activities (28.7 vs. 21.8), and had twice as many hospitalizations during the past 6 months (0.22 vs 0.11). The reports indicate that they were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with depression and had twice the odds of anxiety and insomnia, as well as higher odds of suffering from migraines (OR = 1.663), headaches (OR = 1.369), or gastrointestinal problems (OR = 1.626), compared with non-caregivers.

“The levels of burden seen in the current study for mental quality of life and absenteeism impairments are similar to those observed elsewhere among adults with hepatitis C virus in the EU, or adults with osteoarthritis pain in the US,” Dr Gilloteau said. “They are also similar to mental quality of life impairments seen among adults with rheumatoid arthritis in the EU.”

“The vital role played by unpaid caregivers in supporting cancer patients is well recognized, but the health burden and economic impact on these caregivers is poorly understood,” Dr Gilloteau said.

“Caregivers of cancer patients reported statistically significantly poorer overall health status, physical and emotional health status, more healthcare resources use, and their work productivity and daily activity were also statistically significantly impaired. They were also at greater odds of being diagnosed with comorbidities. Importantly, this study specifically quantifies the extent of the burden attributable to each of the components mentioned above, and specifically examines comorbidities likely to have been affected by the caregiving experience. Estimating the financial impact of caregiving in cancer is essential as a future research step, especially given that the current findings indicate that this cost will be high.”

The researchers call for greater recognition of the unmet caregiver needs. “This study underscores the importance of recognizing caregiver burden, not just because of the direct implications for the well-being and quality of care of the patient with cancer, but also due to the extra burden it brings to society overall,” Dr Gilloteau said. “Because caregiving is a vital part of cancer patient management and providing this care incurs substantial burden for the caregiver, it is crucial to consider what can be done to minimize this burden, especially in the current context of containment, combined with an aging population and increasing incidence of cancer.”

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