Observation of Frailty in Lung Cancer Patients and Its Influencing Factors

The frailty of lung cancer patients is the result of multiple systems and factors, and its pathological and physiological changes include neuroendocrine disorders, malnutrition, sarcopenia, chronic inflammatory reactions, etc., accompanied by comorbidities and aging, and various factors promote the occurrence of frailty. Previous studies have found that older age, female gender, low education level, multiple drug use, smoking, lack of exercise, comorbidities, falls, sleep disorders, and anxiety and depression are the influencing factors of frailty in the elderly . When many domestic scholars study the frailty characteristics of elderly lung cancer patients, they have found that patients with advanced age, low BMI, divorce or widowhood, smoking, higher lung cancer staging, comorbidities with other diseases, multiple medications, poor nutrition, lower daily living ability, long disease course, depression, and lower red blood cells, albumin, and hemoglobin are more prone to frailty .

In summary, lung cancer patients are at risk of frailty, with a high incidence and an impact on the occurrence of adverse health outcomes. The conclusions drawn from different studies regarding the incidence and measurement of frailty in lung cancer patients vary. The frailty of lung cancer patients is influenced by multiple factors, not only involving demographic and disease-related factors. At present, there is limited research both domestically and internationally, mainly focusing on the impact of frailty in lung cancer patients on adverse health outcomes. There is a lack of research on the current situation and related factors of frailty in lung cancer patients. Most studies have explored demographic and disease-related factors in lung cancer patients, with little involvement in other variables such as psychological and social factors. Given the significant importance of frailty intervention in improving the health status of lung cancer patients, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the frailty status and related factors of lung cancer patients. Therefore, this study intends to use the Integrated Conceptual Model of Frailty (ICMF) and Frailty Framework among Vulnerable Population (FFVP) as theoretical basis to describe the frailty status of lung cancer patients, comprehensively evaluate and analyze the physiological, psychological, and social frailty of lung cancer patients, and explore the influencing factors related to frailty, in order to provide a basis for effective intervention research on lung cancer patients in the future.