Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39083112›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2026

Functional limitations among adult cancer survivors in the United States.

D K Ehlers, N Weaver, J Ma, S K Mama, L L Page, J Rowland, H Arem

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Multidimensional functional limitations in American cancer survivors: Characteristics and their effects on survival and healthcare utilization.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

D K EhlersDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Health Futures Center, Mayo Clinic, 6161 E. Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA. Ehlers.Diane@mayo.edu.
N WeaverDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
J MaDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
S K MamaDepartment of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
L L PageDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
J RowlandSmith Center for Healing and the Arts, Washington, DC, USA.
H AremMedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD, USA.

Funding

Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training GrantR25CA203650 · NCI · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI IRWIN, MELINDA L · 2016 to 2025
$2.9M
NCI NIH HHS R25 CA203650NIH HHS R25CA203650
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeUsing data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this study examined the odds of functional limitations across nine domains by cancer status (with vs. without cancer history) and age group (18-44, 45-64, 65 + years).

methodsParticipants were 151,509 adults in the 2014-2018 NHIS. Functional limitations included self-reported difficulty conducting nine activities. Data were analyzed using age-stratified multivariate logistic regression (no limitation vs. limited in any way; minor limitation vs. major limitation) and are reported as covariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). To gather insight on the influence of cancer, compared to aging without a history of cancer, on functional limitations, we also conducted exploratory regression analyses comparing all cancer by age groups to 18-44 year-olds without a cancer history.

resultsCancer survivors (n = 12,518) were more likely to report a limitation than adults without cancer (n = 138,991). Age-stratified ORs for 1 + limitation were 2.75 (95% CI 1.98, 3.81) among 18-44 year-olds, 2.42 (95% CI 2.00, 2.93) among 45-64 year-olds, and 1.59 (95% CI 1.39, 1.82) among 65 + year-olds. Cancer survivors were more likely to report major limitations across multiple domains, with age-stratified ORs ranging from 1.18 (65 + year-olds, stooping limitation) to 2.28 (18-44 year-old, sitting limitation). ORs from exploratory analyses were lowest among 45-64 year-old adults without a cancer history (2.69-4.42) and highest among older adult cancer survivors (3.42-14.73).

conclusionsCancer was associated with limitations across age groups, with the highest age-stratified ORs observed among younger adults and for mobility and lower-extremity limitations. Stronger efforts to assess limitations as part of routine care and implement targeted interventions to address limitations are needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Functional limitations have been linked with poorer aging trajectories and lower quality of life in cancer and non-cancer populations. Routine screening to identify and discuss functional limitations with cancer patients may help reduce the burden of such limitations on survivors.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingCancer SurvivorsNeoplasmsAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeUnited StatesYoung AdultAccelerated agingCancer survivorshipFunctional limitationsPhysical function

Identifiers

PMID39083112
PMCPMC12257919

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.