Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate the impairments presented after COVID-19 voluntary isolation by lung cancer survivors that experienced radiotherapy-related fatigue. In this observational study, data were collected after COVID-19 voluntary isolation. Patients were divided into two groups according to their fatigue severity reported with the Fatigue Severity Scale. Health status was assessed by the EuroQol-5D, anxiety and depression by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and disability by the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. A total of 120 patients were included in the study. Patients with severe fatigue obtained higher impairment results compared to patients without severe fatigue, with significant differences in all the variables (p < 0.05). Lung cancer survivors who experienced severe radiotherapy-related fatigue presented higher impairments after COVID-19 voluntary isolation than lung cancer patients who did not experience severe radiotherapy-related fatigue, and showed high levels of anxiety, depression and disability, and a poor self-perceived health status.
Highlights
Concurrent chemo-radiation remains the standard treatment for most cancer patients [1]
Considering the scientific background that relates perceived fatigue and presented disability with voluntary isolation, and the lack of awareness of the impact of the COVID19 lockdown on lung cancer patients, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impairment presented after COVID-19 voluntary isolation in lung cancer survivors that experienced radiotherapy-related fatigue
A sample of 130 patients lung cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy was screened in this study
Summary
Concurrent chemo-radiation remains the standard treatment for most cancer patients [1]. Radiotherapy is an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment of thorax and lung cancer [2], being indicated before and after surgery [3], after chemotherapy in unresectable tumors staged as extensive disease [4], and for frail patients for whom surgery is not recommended [5]. Radiotherapy is an oncological treatment that implies the apoptosis of both tumoral cells [6] and normal cells due to radiation toxicity [7], resulting several side effects. The side effects of radiotherapy are an important factor that explains to a large extent the poor survival compared to surgery [8]; these treatments can lead to musculoskeletal and neuromuscular complications, or the dysfunction of a visceral organ such as the heart or the lungs [9]. Jones et al 2016 concluded that one third of cancer survivors suffer clinically relevant levels of fatigue up to 6 years post-radiotherapy treatment [13]
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