When cancer survivors are also caregivers: well-being of “dual-role” cancer survivors

Purpose: As the life expectancy of cancer survivors continues to improve, cancer survivors start or resume their life roles as caregivers themselves. We aim to assess the associations between caregiving, cancer diagnosis, and self-reported well-being. Methods: Data were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2016, 2018, and 2020. Outcomes included self-reported general health, physical health, mental health, depression, physical inactivity, and poor sleep. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate self-reported well-being’s adjusted odds ratio (aOR). Results: Comparable to the proportion of caregivers in the general population, approximately 1 out of 5 cancer survivors were caregivers to others. Individuals with dual roles were significantly more likely to report poor general health (aOR = 2.45; 95%CI: 1.46–4.11), physical health (aOR = 2.17; 95%CI: 1.32–3.56), mental health (aOR = 2.47; 95%CI: 1.31–4.64), depression (aOR = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.15–2.41), physical inactivity (aOR = 1.56; 95%CI: 1.05–2.31), and poor sleep (aOR = 1.48; 95%CI: 1.00–2.19) than the general population. Differential impacts of an additional cancer diagnosis on the well-being of caregivers were observed by sex, race, and time since cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: Nearly four million cancer survivors in the USA are concomitant caregivers. Individuals with dual roles reported diminished well-being across a variety of measures than caregivers only. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Significant unmet health and psychosocial needs exist among individuals with dual roles. Our findings urge for increased awareness of this additional role/responsibility in cancer survivors and provide direct evidence for healthcare providers and policymakers to develop substantial support from the structural level.