Abstract
BackgroundCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common distressing symptom in leukemia patients. CRF becomes clinically significant fatigue (CSF) when adversely affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and warrants further workup, referrals, and treatment. Objective: To assess the prevalence and predictors of CSF and assesses its impact on HRQoL in adult leukemia patients.MethodAnalysis was performed on 168 leukemia patients. The primary study outcomes were CSF (score ≥4) as measured by the fatigue numerical rating scale and HRQoL using a validated Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia (FACT-Leu) scale.ResultThe prevalence of CSF was 89 (53%), with a mean score of 6.66±2.02. About 106 (63.1%) of leukemia patients had poor Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (102.61±23.50). Overall, FACT-Leu mean score indicated that study participants had poor HRQoL (114.70±29.67). There was a statistically significant difference in HRQoL between the patients with CSF 104.89±28.82 and Non-CSF 125.76±26.71, p<0.001. Poor appetite (odd ratio: 3.02 [95% CI: 1.33-6.85]) was statistically significant predictors (p<0.010) of CSF. Dependence on caregiver (odd ratio: 3.31 [95% CI: 0.41-0.75]) and having non-CSF (odd ratio: 5.22 [95% CI: 2.44-11.19]) were found statistically significant predictors of good HRQoL.ConclusionCSF is prevalent among leukemia patients, and adversely affects their HRQoL. Holistic assessment and supportive care are needed to reduce the burden of CSF and improve leukemia patients HRQoL.
Highlights
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most prevalent, persistent, and distressing symptoms among cancer patients and survivors [1,2]
Our results showed that leukemia patients had a high burden of CRF as reported by 77.4% of the study
Our reported prevalence and mean of clinically significant fatigue (CSF) were higher than the findings reported by Wang et al, (2002) findings which have shown that 53.5% leukemia patients (n=106) had CSF with a mean score of 6.51±2.34 [21]
Summary
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most prevalent, persistent, and distressing symptoms among cancer patients and survivors [1,2]. CRF has been reported in patients with active chemotherapy between 59-90% and up to 100 in patients receiving radiotherapy and up to 25% among cancer survivors [4,5,6,7]. CRF was experienced and frequently reported by leukemia patients than patients with solid tumors, with prevalence ranges between 33% and 69% [8,9]. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common distressing symptom in leukemia patients. CRF becomes clinically significant fatigue (CSF) when adversely affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and warrants further workup, referrals, and treatment. Objective: To assess the prevalence and predictors of CSF and assesses its impact on HRQoL in adult leukemia patients
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