Methodologic approach to defining comorbidities in a cohort of patients with cancer: An example in the optimal breast cancer chemotherapy dosing study Journal Article


Authors: Wang, P.; O'Connell, K.; Bhimani, J.; Blinder, V.; Burganowski, R.; Ergas, I. J.; Gallagher, G. B.; Griggs, J. J.; Heon, N.; Kolevska, T.; Kotsurovskyy, Y.; Kroenke, C. H.; Laurent, C. A.; Liu, R.; Nakata, K. G.; Persaud, S.; Rivera, D. R.; Roh, J. M.; Tabatabai, S.; Valice, E.; Bandera, E. V.; Kushi, L. H.; Bowles, E. J. A.; Kantor, E. D.
Article Title: Methodologic approach to defining comorbidities in a cohort of patients with cancer: An example in the optimal breast cancer chemotherapy dosing study
Abstract: PURPOSEWe evaluated the definitions of five comorbidities (renal and hepatic impairments, anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia) in women with breast cancer using data from electronic health records. METHODSIn 11,097 women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I-IIIA breast cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California or Kaiser Permanente Washington, we assessed comorbidity definitions in two commonly used lookback windows (1 year before diagnosis, T1; and extending until chemotherapy initiation, T1-2). Within each, we assessed data availability and agreement between International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-defined and lab-defined comorbidities of varying severity. To assess how different pieces of information may affect providers in making treatment decisions, we used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate four-category (with comorbidity indicated by both ICD and lab, ICD-only, lab-only, or neither) and collapsed binary (comorbidity indicated by either ICD or lab v neither) definitions in relation to first cycle chemotherapy dose reduction (FCDR). RESULTSExtending the lookback period to chemotherapy initiation increased laboratory data availability (missingness <= 4.1% in T1-2 v >40% in T1). Assessment of agreement guided selection of laboratory cutpoints. In both time periods, the four-category and binary comorbidity variables were associated with use of FCDR, but binary variables had larger cell sizes and more stability of regression models. Ultimately, the comorbidity variables in T1 were defined by a combination of either ICD/qualifying laboratory values. Results were similar in T1-2, except laboratory data alone outperformed the combination variable for renal and hepatic comorbidity. CONCLUSIONLeveraging both ICD and lab data and extending the lookback period to include postdiagnosis but prechemotherapy initiation may provide better capture of comorbidity. Future studies may consider validating our findings with a gold-standard comorbidity status and in other community health care settings.
Keywords: risk; docetaxel; febrile neutropenia; dose-intensity; older women
Journal Title: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics
Volume: 9
ISSN: 2473-4276
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 2025-03-01
Language: English
ACCESSION: WOS:001427266300001
DOI: 10.1200/cci-24-00231
PROVIDER: wos
PMCID: PMC11839177
PUBMED: 39951671
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledge in the PDF -- Corresponding authors is MSK author: Peng Wang -- Source: Wos
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MSK Authors
  1. Victoria Susana Blinder
    111 Blinder
  2. Narre Heon
    16 Heon
  3. Elizabeth David Kantor
    40 Kantor
  4. Jenna Bhimani
    14 Bhimani
  5. Sonia Persaud
    21 Persaud
  6. Peng Wang
    6 Wang