Profile Of Hand Grip Strength In Elderly Patients With Prostate Cancer

Aims: to analyze the profile of Handgrip Strength in elderly prostate cancer patients treated at a philanthropic hospital in Recife.Methods: cross-sectional study with analysis of secondary data collected at the Oncogeriatric Outpatient Clinic of the Professor Fernando Figueira Institute of Integral Medicine, using a convenience sample with a sample of 72 elderly. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATA 12 statistical program. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to numerical variables to determine sample normality. In case of non-normality, the Mann-Whitney test was used. The significance level of 0.05% was adopted.Results: reduced Handgrip Strength was observed in patients with staging of a more advanced disease when compared to other more localized or clinically better stages(staging I: 27.78 vs. staging IV: 27.20 in the dominant arm (p = 0.349) / staging I: 27.33 vs. staging IV: 24.13 in the non-dominant arm), this result being better reproduced in the non-dominant hand(p=0.090). By analyzing the comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, cardiomyopathy and osteoarthritis) in relation to the dominant and non-dominant hand, no significant differences were found in the Handgrip Strength in the presence or absence of the comorbidities analyzed in both the dominant and non-dominant hands (p=0.189 vs.p=0,437).Conclusions: The study provided relevant insights into the importance of Handgrip Strength as an important general parameter for muscle strength and a health code, especially when analyzed in older adults with cancer, where it significantly affects their physical and neuromuscular function, including muscle atrophy, decreased strength. muscle function and decreased functional performance in daily activities, significantly compromising quality of Life and its prognosis.