Abstract
• Cancer patients commonly live with additional chronic conditions, which may affect their prognosis and outcomes.
• The international literature suggests that Indigenous peoples with cancer are more likely to have concomitant comorbidity than non-Indigenous peoples.
• Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease are the most common comorbid conditions among Indigenous peoples with cancer.
• Diabetes and cancer commonly co-occur in Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Higher rates of co-occurrence are observed for Māori compared to non-Māori for most cancer types, particularly for gastrointestinal, endocrine, and obesity-related cancers.
People who are diagnosed with cancer commonly have additional coexisting chronic conditions, referred to as comorbidity. Comorbidity has been associated with elevated excess mortality in cancer populations. Preexisting comorbidity may affect treatment options, decisions, and tolerance. Both existing and new comorbidities that develop during and after cancer treatment can impact opportunities to participate in clinical trials. As such, the personalization and optimization of cancer care requires a careful consideration of an individual’s comorbidity burden.