Fatigue assessment in cancer patients

Abstract

Introduction. Fatigue in cancer patients is one of the most frequent symptoms present irrespectively of the kind of malignant tumor, its localization, stage and/or treatment modality. One of the most often used definition of fatigue emphasizes a disturbing, persistent, subjective feeling of physical, emotional and/or cognitive fatigue, or tiredness, connected with the carcinoma and/or its therapy, that is not proportional with the patients? activities and therefore impairs their daily functioning. The study has been undertaken with the aim of determining the levels of fatigue in cancer patients during radiotherapy. Material and Method. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study, by interviewing 80 hospitalized patients at the Institute for Oncology of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica, Clinic for Radiotherapy. Perform Questionnaire with 12 item describing fatigue over the previous two weeks was used as a study instrument. For the statistical analysis of data we used method of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Statistical significance was determined at the level of p<0.05. Results. The highest average values of the general Perform questionnaire score were recorded in the patients diagnosed with the central nervous system carcinoma [38.9? 14.6], while the lowest were recorded in the group of patients with prostate cancer [17.0?4.6]. Simultaneous administration of radiotherapy and chemotherapy leads to major limitations of physical performances, daily life activities and patient attitudes. Conclusion. All participants included in this study experienced fatigue, although it differed in separate domains, as well as by the type of therapy, primary diagnosis and intensity over the previous two weeks; however, it was present at the moment of estimation.