Abstract
Context Research has indicated that individuals with gynecological cancer experience severe fatigue. Objectives This longitudinal survey aimed to analyze the fatigue experienced over the course of one year by a gynecological cancer population, to determine if the fatigue was more severe than that reported by females without cancer, and to identify variables associated with cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Methods Data were collected over a 12-month period before, during, and after anticancer treatment. Fatigue was assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form. Participants with cancer also completed the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist. Results Sixty-five cancer patients (mean age = 57.4 years, standard deviation [SD] = 13.9) and 60 control subjects (mean age = 55.4 years, SD = 13.6) participated. Descriptive analysis and repeated measurements modeling indicated that the cancer participants reported worse fatigue than the noncancer individuals before, during, and after anticancer treatment ( P < 0.001) and that the level of fatigue in persons with cancer changed with time ( P = 0.02). A forward stepwise regression demonstrated that psychological distress level was the only independent predictor of CRF during anticancer treatment ( P < 0.00), explaining 44% of the variance in fatigue. After treatment, both psychological distress level ( P < 0.00) and physical symptom distress ( P = 0.03) were independent predictors of fatigue, accounting for 81% of the variance. Conclusion Psychological distress level is an important indicator of CRF in gynecological cancer. Interventions focused on the reduction of psychological distress may help alleviate CRF.
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