Differences In Fatigue Severity Research Articles

Effectiveness of a blended booster programme for the long-term outcome of cognitive behavioural therapy for MS-related fatigue: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) reduces MS-related fatigue. However, studies on the long-term effects show inconsistent findings. Objective: To evaluate whether a blended booster programme improves the outcome of CBT for MS-related fatigue on fatigue severity at 1-year follow-up. Method: A multicentre randomized clinical trial in which 126 patients with MS were allocated to either a booster programme or no booster programme (control), after following 20-week tailored CBT for MS-related fatigue. Primary outcome was fatigue severity assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength fatigue subscale 1 year after start of treatment (T52). Mixed model analysis was performed by a statistician blinded for treatment-allocation to determine between-group differences in fatigue severity. Results: Fatigue severity at 1-year follow-up did not differ significantly between the booster (N = 62) and control condition (N = 64) (B = −2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −4.76 to 0.75). No significant increase in fatigue severity was found at T52 compared with directly post-treatment (T20) in both conditions (B = 0.44, 95% CI = −0.97 to 1.85). Conclusion: Effects of CBT were sustained up to 1 year in both conditions. The booster programme did not significantly improve the long-term outcome of CBT for MS-related fatigue. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register (NTR6966), registered 18 January 2018 https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6782

Abstract GS4-09: Quality of life results from OlympiA: A phase III, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adjuvant olaparib after (neo)-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and high-risk HER-2 negative early breast cancer

Abstract Background: The primary results from the OlympiA trial were recently reported (NEJM, 2021) after an interim analysis demonstrated statistically significant invasive disease-free survival (DFS) benefit from 1 year of olaparib (OL) vs. placebo (PL) after 2.5 yrs median follow-up. Although there were fewer deaths with OL than PL, overall survival (OS) did not reach the statistical significance threshold prespecified for interim analysis. The initial publication also reported on the adverse event profile, which was similar to that previously reported, as well as Global Health Status/Quality of Life (GHQ), a secondary endpoint for the Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) sub-study. The full protocol-specified PRO analyses are presented here. Methods: The OlympiA randomized phase III trial (NCT02032823, BIG 6-13, NSABP B-55) tested the role of 1 year of adjuvant OL after completion of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and definitive local therapy on invasive DFS, distant DFS and OS, and sought to collect PRO data from all eligible patients (pts) prior to randomization, on treatment (trt) (6 and 12 months [mos]), and after trt (18 and 24 mos) using validated questionnaires available in multiple languages. Fatigue, the primary PRO endpoint, was measured with the FACIT-Fatigue Scale in which a clinically meaningful (CM) difference is ≥3 points. Secondary PRO endpoints included gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (nausea and vomiting [NV], diarrhea) and multiple quality of life (QOL) domains assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C-30 questionnaire (CM differences: small 5-10 points, moderate 10-20 points [Osoba, 1998]). The primary protocol-specified PRO hypothesis was that during trt pts treated with OL may experience greater fatigue severity at 6 and 12 mos. Secondary PRO hypotheses included: a) pts receiving OL may experience greater severity of GI symptoms at 6 and 12 mos with no difference by 24 mos; b) no difference in fatigue severity post-trt at 18 and 24 mos; and c) no difference in QOL over duration of the PRO sub-study between OL and PL as measured by the GHQ score and other EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales. A mixed model for repeated measures analysis compared the primary and secondary endpoints scores. Separate analyses were performed for neoadjuvant (NAC) and adjuvant (AC) chemotherapy subgroups due to differences in interval from NAC and AC to randomization. Two-sided p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of 1,836 randomized pts, 1,751 (NAC: 875 [OL:440, PL: 435], AC: 876 [OL:436, PL:440]) were included in the PRO sub-study. Baseline QOL and symptom scores did not differ between OL and PL. Fatigue severity was statistically significantly greater in pts treated with OL than with PL at 6 mos (diff OL vs. PL: NAC -1.3 [95%CI -2.4, -0.2], p=0.024; AC -1.3 [-2.3,-0.2], p=0.017) and 12 mos (NAC -1.5 [-2.8,-0.2] p=0.025; AC -1.3 [-2.4,-0.1] p=0.027); however, the differences did not meet the pre-specified criterion for CM with the FACIT-Fatigue Scale. There were no meaningful differences in fatigue severity at 18 and 24 mos. NV symptom severity was worse in pts treated with OL than with PL with small differences at 6 mos (NAC: 6.0 [4.0, 8.0], p<0.001, AC: 5.3 [3.4,7.2], p<0.001) and 12 mos (NAC: 6.3 [4.4, 8.2], p<0.001, AC: 4.5 [2.8,6.2], p<0.001), and no differences at 18 and 24 mos. In general, there were no CM differences between OL and PL in terms of other symptoms and QOL subscales with improvements in functioning over time. Conclusions: Increased trt-emergent symptoms with OL were small and resolved after trt. QOL scores were similar and slowly improved during the 24 mos after (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy. Support: U10CA180868, -180822, UG1CA189867, AstraZeneca, Merck and Co, Inc. NCT02032823 Citation Format: Patricia A Ganz, Hanna Bandos, Tanja Spanic, Sue Friedman, Volkmar Müller, Sherko Kümmel, Suzette Delaloge, Etienne Brain, Masakazu Toi, Hideko Yamauchi, Eduardo-Martínez de Dueñas, Anne Armstrong, Seock-Ah Im, Chuangui Song, Hong Zheng, Tomasz Sarosiek, Priyanka Sharma, Giovanna Rossi, Priya Rastogi, Anitra Fielding, Richard D Gelber, Christine Campbell, Judy E Garber, Charles E Geyer, Jr, Andrew NJ Tutt, On behalf of the OlympiA Trial Steering Committeeand Investigators. Quality of life results from OlympiA: A phase III, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adjuvant olaparib after (neo)-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and high-risk HER-2 negative early breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS4-09.

The influence of disease activity on fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis – a longitudinal study

Objective The relationship between the disease activity of ulcerative colitis and fatigue is unclear. We investigated how reaching deep remission versus remaining in active disease influenced the severity of fatigue. Materials and methods We included 149 consecutive patients in a longitudinal study. Patients were re-examined after 3 months of conventional treatment and dichotomized into A: Active disease or B: Deep remission. The Partial Mayo Score (PMS) was recorded in all patients. Fatigue was rated using the fatigue visual analog scale (fVAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Short Form-36 Vitality Subscale (SF-36vs). A control group of 22 age and sex-matched healthy subjects were included as controls for patients reaching deep remission. Results After 3 months there were no significant differences in fVAS, FSS and SF-36vs scores in patients with active disease compared to patients reaching deep remission, when adjusting for baseline fatigue scores. Patients in remission based on MES-UC scores had no significant reduction in fatigue scores, whereas patients in remission based on PMS had all three fatigue scores reduced. However, patients reaching deep remission still had higher fVAS and lower SF-36vs scores compared to healthy control subjects. Conclusions After 3 months of conventional treatment there were no differences in fatigue severity in patients reaching deep remission compared with patients still having active disease. Fatigue was more pronounced in patients in deep remission than in healthy subjects, and was associated with subjective and not objective measures of disease activity. This indicates that other potent factors than inflammation influence fatigue in UC.

Fatigue-Related Factors for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Diabetes: A Theory-Guided Multi-Dimensional Approach Using the Dynamic Biopsychosocial Model.

Older adults with diabetes appear more susceptible to fatigue compared to younger adults with diabetes or healthy older adults, since aging and diabetes independently and synergistically influence fatigue. Few studies have investigated fatigue in older adults with diabetes using a multidimensional approach. This study explored the influences of physical, psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors on diabetes fatigue using a dynamic biopsychosocial model. Face-to-face surveys were administered to community-dwelling older adults with diabetes and included variables across four domains (i.e., physical, psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors). Univariate analyses and multiple linear regression were used. The mean fatigue score was 3.94 (standard deviation (SD) = 1.81) out of 7, and the prevalence of fatigue was 48.8%. Significant differences in fatigue severity by psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors were found. Comorbidity and psychological factors were significant predictors of fatigue in the model, explaining 31.9% of the variance. As nearly half the sample experienced moderate or severe fatigue, which was significantly influenced by both comorbidity and psychological factors, including depression, sleep quality, and diet-related psychological characteristics, assessing patients’ psychological status may be important. Awareness of fatigue could be incorporated into dietary interventions for older adults with diabetes.

The association between visual impairment and fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

PurposeThe aim was to compare fatigue levels between patients with visual impairment and controls with normal sight and to examine the association between fatigue and vision loss severity.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed using databases of PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Cochrane to identify observational studies with outcomes related to fatigue (e.g. vitality subscale of the Short‐Form 36, Fatigue Assessment Scale). A meta‐analysis was performed using standardised mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios (OR) to quantitatively summarise the association between visual impairment and fatigue. Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Study quality was assessed with the Newcastle‐Ottawa scale.ResultsAfter reviewing 4477 studies, 22 studies with a total of 40 004 participants were included, of which 18 contributed to meta‐analysis. Among these, eight were assessed as moderate quality studies and 10 as high quality studies. Pooled analysis involving 2500 patients and 8395 controls showed higher fatigue severity levels (S.M.D. = −0.36, 95% CI −0.50 to −0.22, 14 studies) among visually impaired patients compared to normally sighted controls. This effect size was small and persisted in sensitivity analyses that involved study quality, fatigue assessment tools and visual acuity data. Furthermore, pooled analysis of four studies including 2615 patients and 5438 controls showed a significant association between visual impairment and fatigue (OR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.69 to 4.04). Secondary meta‐analysis of four studies showed no significant difference in fatigue severity (S.M.D. = 0.01, 95% CI −0.37 to 0.39) between patients with moderate visual impairment and patients with severe visual impairment or blindness.ConclusionsCurrent moderate to high quality evidence suggest that patients with visual impairment experience more severe fatigue symptoms than persons with normal sight. However, a limited number of available studies indicates that fatigue is not associated with severity of vision loss. Future studies are required to determine which factors and underlying mechanisms may explain the association between visual impairment and fatigue. Discussing fatigue at an early stage and developing intervention options for vision‐related fatigue should be considered within the field of low vision rehabilitation.

Fatigue severity and emotion dysregulation: roles in mental health among trauma exposed college students

ABSTRACT Background: There is increased recognition that traumatic events are a common experience among college students, and such events have shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes and poorer well-being among this population. Although some work has focused on the relation between trauma exposure and mental health among college students, little work has explored the role of individual difference in fatigue severity within this group. Purpose: Therefore, the current study sought to address this gap in the existing literature by examining the explanatory role of fatigue severity in terms of anxiety/depression and post-traumatic stress among trauma exposed college students. Further, the mechanistic role of emotion dysregulation was evaluated as a possible factor that may underlie the relation between fatigue severity and mental health. Method: Seven hundred and thirty trauma-exposed college students were included in the present study (78.6% female, M age = 22.59 years, SD = 5.48; 55.3% racial minority). Results: Results revealed that individual differences in fatigue severity had a significant indirect effect on the studied internalizing symptoms through emotion dysregulation. Conclusion: These novel findings suggest future work should continue to explore emotion dysregulation in the association between fatigue severity and internalizing symptoms among trauma-exposed college students.

The Effects of Reflexology on Fatigue Severity of Patients with Cancer

Introduction:Breast cancer is a major threat to women’s health and a common factor that can reduce their life expectancy. Complementary medicine such as reflexology is known to reduce fatigue severity in cancer patients. The present study aimed to cultivate the effect of reflexology on fatigue severity of patients with breast cancer. Methods:The present pre-post clinical trial recruited 57 patients with breast cancer and involved an experimental and a control group. All patients were livening in Ilam, Iran. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups of experimental (N=27) and control (N=30). The experimental group received reflexology for 4 sessions. Data were collected using Fatigue severity scale (FSS) and demographic information questionnaire. FSS was completed by the patients twice; before the intervention and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS and running t-test and ANOVA. Results:Results showed no significant difference in fatigue severity between experimental (45.44±5.30) and control (43.66±7.68) groups prior to the intervention (p>0.05). However, after conducting the intervention, a significant difference in fatigue severity was seen between the experimental (20.66±4.54) and control (40.36±9.58) groups (p=0.000). Conclusion:The present study showed that reflexology decrease fatigue severity in patients with breast cancer and community health nursing can to use of these complementary medicine to increase patients health conditions.

Validation of the Amharic Version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory for Assessment of Cancer-Related Fatigue in Ethiopian Cancer Patients

BackgroundAlthough cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a highly prevalent and distressing symptom associated with cancer and its treatment, it is mostly underscreened, underassessed, and undertreated. The Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) is a reliable and valid instrument to assess CRF. ObjectiveTo validate the Amharic version of the BFI (BFI-Am) for assessment of CRF in Ethiopian cancer patients. MethodsThe BFI-Am was developed from its original English version through standard forward-backward translation approach. Two hundred eight consented cancer patients filled the questionnaires, along with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30, version 3. In addition, sociodemographic and clinical information were collected. Psychometric properties of the BFI-Am were evaluated in terms of acceptability, internal consistency, construct validity, concurrent validity, and known group validity. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify possible predictors of fatigue severity. ResultsTwo hundred two cancer patients completed the questionnaires and included in the data analysis. The BFI-Am had an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.97. The results of the principal axis factor analysis suggested a one-factor solution explaining 78.4% of the variance, supporting the hypothesis of unidimensionality of the BFI-Am. The global BFI-Am interference items score was highly correlated with fatigue subscale score of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 than single items, showing an inverse correlation between the BFI-Am and the global health status/quality of life (r = −0.324; P = 0.000). The BFI-Am significantly detected the differences in fatigue severity in patients with poor performance status (P < 0.001), indicating known group validity. ConclusionThe BFI-Am is an excellent assessment tool with adequate psychometric properties for use in both clinical management and symptom research of CRF in Ethiopian cancer patients.

Factors associated with fatigue in prostate cancer (PC) patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT)

PurposeFatigue is a common adverse effect among cancer patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), yet the underlying disease- and treatment-related factors influencing its development are poorly understood. We hypothesized that clinical, demographic, and treatment-related factors differentially affect fatigue and aimed to better characterize variables related to fatigue development in prostate cancer (PC) patients during EBRT. Methods and materialsWe identified a cohort of 681 patients with nonmetastatic PC undergoing a 6- to 9-week EBRT course. Patient fatigue scores (range, 0-3) were prospectively recorded by providers during treatment visits using standardized criteria. Clinical and demographic factors including age, race, EBRT details, disease staging, smoking status, comorbidities, urinary symptoms, employment status, weight, and concurrent medication use were assessed for their relationship to fatigue levels. Significant differences in fatigue severity by each variable at the beginning and end of EBRT were assessed by nonparametric means testing, and differences in the level of fatigue increase over the treatment course were assessed using an ordered logistic regression model. ResultsSignificant increases in reported fatigue severity were seen in patients with age <60 years (P = .006), depressive symptoms (P < .001), and use of androgen deprivation therapy before radiation start (P = .04). In addition, the prescription of antiemetics before radiation start was associated with reduced fatigue severity (P = .03). ConclusionsWe identify factors associated with increased (young age, depressive symptoms, androgen deprivation therapy) and decreased (antiemetic prescription) fatigue in a large cohort of PC patients receiving EBRT. Continued investigation is needed to further elucidate clinical drivers and biological underpinnings of increased fatigue to guide potential interventions.

Differences in fatigue severity in a sample of adult cancer patients.

To describe differences in fatigue severity in a sample of adult Puerto Rican patients during and postcancer treatments. Hispanics, including Puerto Ricans, are an understudied population who are under-represented in clinical trials, especially in symptom research. Although symptom management is a clinical priority in oncology care, treatment-related differences in Puerto Rican cancer patients' report of fatigue severity have not been well described. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from data of self-report of 138 Puerto Rican patients during and postcancer treatments at two ambulatory facilities located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fatigue severity was assessed using the Fatigue subscale from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue quality of life questionnaire Spanish version. Differences in fatigue severity across type of treatment (radiation therapy, chemotherapy, combined radiation chemotherapy and post-treatment) were evaluated using nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test) statistical tests. The majority of the participants had prostate (33%) and breast (32%) cancers and were receiving radiation therapy (43%) or chemotherapy (28%). The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there was a statistically significant difference in fatigue scores between the different four treatment conditions, χ2 (3)=39.1, p=.001 with patients on combined radiation chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone experiencing more severe fatigue. Findings from the current study suggest that type of treatment is a key component of the symptom burden of fatigue among the Puerto Rican oncology population. Specially, patients receiving combined therapy or chemotherapy alone were at increased risk for experiencing severe fatigue, compared to radiation therapy and post-treatment patients. With the worldwide increase in migration of Puerto Rican families, nurses need to recognise that type of treatment is a key component of the symptom burden of fatigue among the Puerto Rican population. The results of this study will improve understanding of treatment-related fatigue to identify therapeutic targets and improve quality of life of patients.

A Phase I Study of Ruxolitinib Plus Nilotinib in Chronic Phase CML Patients with Molecular Evidence of Disease

Background: BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are the standard treatment for CP-CML. A subset of patients have profound molecular responses with BCR-ABL transcripts no longer detectable using RT-PCR (MR4.5). The ENESTnd trial compared nilotinib versus imatinib as frontline therapy in CML, and reported an increase in the cumulative incidence of MR4.5 of approximately 11% per year for the first five years in nilotinib treated patients. Discontinuation of TKIs is successful in 40-50% of patients who have a durable MR4.5. The phosphorylation of STAT3-Y705 via the JAK-STAT signaling pathway provides a protective microenvironment for the leukemic stem cells (LSC) and is a well described mechanism of resistance to TKIs. The residual LSCs likely contribute to relapse after TKI discontinuation. Data suggests that by simultaneously blocking JAK2 and TYK2, pSTAT3 is inhibited, thereby eliminating the protective environment in the bone marrow, and sensitizing the LSCs to TKIs. Ruxolitinib is a JAK2 and TYK2 inhibitor. Here we used ruxolitinib in combination with nilotinib in CP-CML patients to establish the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of ruxolitinib, and obtain preliminary data about the impact of this combination on BCR-ABL transcript levels.Methods: This phase I, dose-escalation study used ruxolitinib plus nilotinib in CP-CML. All subjects were taking nilotinib prior to enrollment. Eligible subjects had a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR), yet had detectable BCR-ABL transcripts by RT-PCR at enrollment. We used a 3+3 design with 3 cohorts. The nilotinib dose remained unchanged, and the three doses of ruxolitinib were 5mg BID, 10mg BID and 15mg BID. Two additional subjects were treated at the MTD. Subjects remained on combination therapy for six months, at which point ruxolitinib was discontinued. RT-PCR was used to measure BCR-ABL transcript levels in the peripheral blood and/or bone marrow at baseline and every 3 months. The primary endpoint was the MTD of ruxolitinib. Secondary endpoints included toxicity assessment, incidence of MR4.5 at six months, change in fatigue severity scores and impact of ruxolitinib on pSTAT3/5 inhibition assessed with a plasma inhibitory assay (PIA) Descriptive statistics were used for baseline demographics, toxicity, MR4.5 and pSTAT3 levels. Subjects completed the fatigue severity index (FSI) questionnaire at baseline and every 3 months. A paired samples t-test was used to measure the difference in fatigue severity over time.Results: A total of 11 patients were enrolled between April 2013 and March 2016. Median age was 41 (25-63). 73% (n=8) were male. 36% (n=4) had received one TKI prior to nilotinib. The nilotinib dose was 300mg (n=8) or 400mg BID (n=3). Median time from diagnosis to enrollment was 11 months (6-135). Each cohort enrolled 3 subjects, and two additional subjects were treated at the MTD. There were no dose limiting toxicities; therefore the MTD/RP2D of ruxolitinib was 15mg PO BID. There were no grade 3/4 adverse events in any cohort, and no clinically significant cytopenias. Grade 1/2 transaminitis occurred in 1 subject in cohorts 1 and 2. No dose reductions were needed.At data cutoff, 9 subjects have completed six months on trial, and 2 remain active. Of those nine, 3 (33%) had ≥1-log reduction in BCR-ABL transcripts from baseline and 4 (44%) achieved MR4.5. One subject in cohort 1 progressed after three months and a kinase domain mutation analysis found a T315I mutation.FSI data available on seven subjects showed a non-significant decline in average fatigue severity from baseline (mean 2.78, SD 1.79) to follow-up (mean 1.86, SD 1.21), p=0.29.Results from the plasma inhibitory assay and updated results of all 11 subjects will be presented at the meeting after all subjects will have completed the trial.Conclusion: Our data suggest that ruxolitinib is safe and tolerable at 15mg PO BID when combined with nilotinib in CP-CML, and with no grade 3/4 adverse events reported, this should be considered the RP2D for future studies. The incidence of MR4.5 after six months was 44% which surpasses that of historical controls, although the sample size is small and a larger study is needed to confirm these results. The combination leads to an improvement in fatigue severity that did not reach statistical significance. This data serves as justification for future studies using ruxolitinib in combination with TKIs to determine the true impact on eradication of MRD in CP-CML. DisclosuresSweet:Karyopharm: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Speakers Bureau; Incyte Corporation: Research Funding; Ariad: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Nodzon:Novartis: Speakers Bureau. Pinilla-Ibarz:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.

Effects of Yoga on Physiological Indices, Anxiety and Social Functioning in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Randomized Trial.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) as a chronic disease could affect patients' various domains of life. This study was conducted to study the effect of yoga on the physiological indices, anxiety and social functioning of patients with MS in southwest, Iran. In this clinical trial study, 60 MS patients were enrolled according to inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two groups of 30 each. Prior to and after intervention, the patients' vital signs were measured. For case group yoga exercises were performed three sessions a week for 12 weeks while control group performed no exercise. The data were gathered by questionnaire and analysed by descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS. Prior to intervention, there was no significant difference in fatigue severity and pain between the two groups but the mean fatigue severity and pain in case group decreased compared to the control group after the intervention. Prior to intervention, there was no significant difference in mean physiological indices between the two groups but the mean physiological indices in case group decreased significantly after the intervention (p<0.05). Yoga is likely to increase self-efficacy of MS patients through enhancing physical activity, increasing the strength of lower limbs and balance, and decreasing fatigue and pain, and finally to promote social functioning and to relieve stress and anxiety in these patients.

Fatigue in HIV/AIDS patients with comorbidities

Fatigue has been identified as a key complaint among patients with HIV/AIDS. Although having more than one disease is expected to increase symptom severity, this relationship has not been explored extensively. We investigated differences in fatigue severity together with the impact of demographic factors and the number of comorbidities and symptoms among patients with and those without comorbidities at 18 international clinical and community sites. Specific comorbidities and the number of symptoms associated with increased fatigue severity. Only by distinguishing fatigue as to its causes and patterns will health care providers be able to intervene specifically and thus more effectively.

Palliative chemotherapy and cancer-related fatigue in advanced NSCLC patients

6622 Background: Cancer-related fatigue is one the most severe and prevalent symptoms in patients with advanced-stage non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Whether palliative chemotherapy causes additional fatigue, beyond that which is caused by the disease itself, is unknown. Methods: Study subjects were 88 patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Fatigue severity and other symptoms were measured weekly using the 0–10 rating scales of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). Using mixed-effect modeling, we assessed fatigue severity over time of receiving chemotherapy. Results: Over the time of this longitudinal symptom assessment study, fatigue severity was overwhelmingly higher than all other symptoms. We observed no significant impact on fatigue severity by age, sex, or race/ethnicity variation; however, there was a significant difference in fatigue severity using longitudinal analysis between patients who discontinued chemotherapy within 0–6 week vs beyond 12 weeks (P&lt;.05), and within 6–12 weeks vs beyond 12 weeks (P&lt;0.01). By each cycle of chemotherapy, the fatigue pattern showed a consistent trend of reduced severity at day 0–3, a fatigue peak on day 5–6 (P&lt;.05), then unchanged during days 7–21. Fatigue was most severe during the first cycle. Discussion: Cancer-related fatigue was the most severe symptom in the study sample, especially for patients only able to receive 2–4 cycles of chemotherapy. However, patients who received over 4 cycles of chemotherapy had a stable level of fatigue, which indicates that continued chemotherapy does not increase fatigue. Additional analysis demonstrated that fatigue was at it's lowest immediately following chemotherapy, possibly related to the use of steroids in conjunction with chemotherapy administration. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effect of psychiatric disorders on outcome of cognitive-behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome

Psychiatric disorders have been associated with poor outcome in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This study examines the impact of psychiatric disorders on outcome of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed with a structured psychiatric interview in a CBT trial of 270 people with CFS. Lifetime and current psychiatric disorders were found in 50 and 32% respectively. No significant differences in fatigue severity and functional impairment following treatment were found between participants with and without psychiatric diagnoses.

Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients Attending Oncological Rehabilitation Programs: Prevalence, Patterns and Predictors

Background: Fatigue is one of the most frequent symptoms in cancer patients. It is the aim of medical and psychosocial rehabilitation programs to reduce physical impairments and psychosocial distress. There are no reliable data on the prevalence or the pattern of fatigue in patients attending such rehabilitation programs. We therefore initiated a cross-sectional study to evaluate this phenomenon. Patients and Methods: Using the EORTC QLQ-C30, HADS and MFI questionnaires in 144 patients with different malignant diseases the incidence, patterns and necessity of treatment of fatigue were evaluated. Results: One third of the patients were diagnosed with breast cancer, 27% with gastrointestinal cancers and 20% suffered from haematologic/lymphatic diseases. There was a good correlation between fatigue levels in the 3 instruments used. 22% of all patients showed significant symptoms of fatigue. The univariate analysis did not reflect any significant differences in severity of fatigue with respect to diagnosis, haemoglobin levels, medical and therapeutic history or sociodemographic data. However, using cluster analysis we could identify 3 groups of patients that differ significantly in fatigue and quality-of-life measurements. Conclusion: We conclude from our data that fatigue is an important phenomenon in cancer patients who attend medical and psychosocial rehabilitation programs. This has an impact on the ability and degree to reintegrate these patients into everyday life.

Fatigue and Personality Pathology in the Mentally Ill

PURPOSE: Psychiatric disorders and abnormal personality traits are commonly identified in patients complaining of fatigue, most of whom can be diagnosed to have depressive (D), anxiety (A), somatoform (S) or eating (E) disorders. This study was designed to determine the relationship between the prevalence of severe fatigue and the presence of personality pathology in individuals with these psychiatric disorders. METHODS: We analyzed 1197 referrals to an academic psychosomatic medicine outpatient unit. All patients underwent highly structured standardized psychometric and clinical assessments which allowed the categorical classification into D, A, S, and E groups. Within each group, the self-scored severity of fatigue experienced during the week preceding the evaluation was compared for patients with and without personality disorders (P). RESULTS: The one-week prevalence of severe fatigue was 38% in D (N = 324) and 45% in D + P (N = 139), p = NS; 29% in A (N = 216) and 29% in A + P (N = 79), p = NS; 33% in E (N = 99) and 32% in E + P (N = 53), p = NS; and 20% in S (N = 209) and 34% in S + P (N = 78), p < .01. The difference in fatigue severity was +5% for D + P vs D (p = NS), +1% for A + P vs A (p = NS), −2% for E + P vs E (p = NS) and 32% for S + P vs S (p < .01). The greater severity of fatigue had a significant contribution to the difference in the 14-item index of somatic distress only for S vs S + P (p = .03) CONCLUSION: Severe fatigue may be a marker of personality pathology in patients with unexplained somatic complaints who do not suffer from depressive, anxiety or eating disorders.