Abstract

An ageing population means that cancer is increasingly diagnosed, treated and survived by older people with co-existing health conditions.  In Scotland, most people with any long-term health condition have more than one (multi-morbidity).  This has implications for the diagnosis and management of people with cancer.  This presentation will look at patterns of co-morbidity associated with cancer in Scotland and will consider how this might affect cancer diagnosis and support.  It will also explore the potential role of primary care in cancer prevention, presenting new data on cancer risk discussions. The impact of socio-economic deprivation will be considered. The onset of multimorbidity is approximately 10 to 15 years earlier in the most deprived decile of the Scottish population compared to the most affluent decile.  Furthermore, the health behaviours which account for a significant proportion (up to 40%) of risk for the leading cancers are socially patterned and tend to cluster in individuals.