Prevalence Of Cancer-related Fatigue Research Articles

Prevalence and biopsychosocial indicators of fatigue in cancer patients.

Symptoms of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life and treatment adherence. We aimed to investigate the relationship between CRF and multiple psychosocial and somatic indicators within a large mixed cancer sample. In this cross-sectional study, N = 1787 outpatients with cancer were assessed for CRF, pain, anxiety, and depression using validated screening instruments. We further obtained clinical parameters (Hb, CRP, creatinine, leukocytes, ASAT, and ALAT), sociodemographic data (age, gender, income, education level, marital status, parenthood, and living area), and lifestyle factors. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to estimate the impact of each indicator on CRF. Overall, 90.6% of patients experienced some CRF, with 14.8% experiencing severe CRF. No gender difference was found in the prevalence of CRF. Patients with higher levels of pain, depressive symptoms, and lower Hb levels had significantly higher levels of CRF (ps <0.001). Lower levels of CRF were observed in patients who had children (p = 0.03), had less education (p < 0.001), and were physically active for more than 2 h per week before their oncological diagnosis (p = 0.014). The latter was only a significant indicator in the male subsample. The present results demonstrate a high prevalence of CRF and highlight that not only somatic and psychosocial factors, but also lifestyle factors prior to diagnosis appear to be associated with the etiology and persistence of CRF. To effectively treat CRF, a biopsychosocial, personalized approach is recommended.

Cancer-Related Fatigue and Its Influencing Factors Among Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Generalized Linear Modeling Approach.

This study aimed to improve cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and health outcomes of colorectal cancer patients by understanding the status quo of CRF, exploring the relations of coping, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, body image perception and CRF, and also identifying the factors affecting CRF based on a generalized linear modeling approach. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 colorectal cancer patients at two hospitals in Anhui Province, China, from July 2020 to February 2021. The data were collected by using general information questionnaire, cancer fatigue scale, simplified coping style questionnaire, generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale, patient health questionnaire-9, and body image scale. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analyses, and generalized linear model analyses were applied to analyze the data. The average CRF score of the patients was 21.612 (SD=6.160), with a prevalence rate of 69.4% for clinically relevant fatigue. The generalized linear model revealed that: In step 1, gender (female) (B=1.799, Waldχ2=7.506, p=0.006), per capita monthly income (1001-3000 RMB) (B=-1.673, Waldχ2=5.536, p=0.019) and treatment modalities (chemotherapy+others) (B=2.425, Waldχ2=8.211, p=0.004) were related to CRF. In step 2, depressive symptoms (B=1.223, Waldχ2=129.019, p<0.001) and negative coping strategies (B=0.215, Waldχ2=11.347, p=0.001) exhibited significant positive correlations with CRF, positive coping strategies (B=-0.319, Waldχ2=59.175, p<0.001) showed significant negative correlations with CRF; While anxiety symptoms (B=0.162, Waldχ2=1.840, p=0.175) and body image perception (B=0.013, Waldχ2=0.048, p=0.826) had no correlations with CRF. The prevalence of CRF was relatively high among colorectal cancer patients. Coping and depressive symptoms were the modifiable influencing factors of CRF. Tailored interventions dedicated to promoting positive coping behavior, diminishing negative coping behavior and reducing depressive symptoms may improve the CRF of patients with colorectal cancer. Healthcare providers working with these patients should receive corresponding education and training in these complementary treatments. Additionally, when developing non-pharmacological interventions, appropriate consideration of the patients' gender, income condition and the type of anticancer treatment is also necessary.

Hematocrit Is Associated with Cancer-Related Fatigue in Colorectal Cancer Survivors: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a frequent symptom in colorectal cancer survivors. It is unknown to what extent anemia may contribute to CRF in colorectal cancer survivors. This study aimed to investigate the association between hematocrit, as marker for anemia, and CRF among colorectal cancer survivors from diagnosis until two years thereafter. The study population included 1,506 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer survivors at any stage of disease from a prospective cohort study. Hematocrit and CRF (EORTC QLQ-C30) were assessed at diagnosis, six months, and two years after diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression or multivariable linear mixed models were used to assess the associations of hematocrit with CRF prevalence, or CRF severity over time, respectively. A low hematocrit (levels <40% men/<36% women) was present in a third of the survivors at diagnosis and six months thereafter, and among 16% two years after diagnosis. The prevalence of CRF was 15% at diagnosis, peaked at 27% at six months, and was 14% two years after diagnosis. Hematocrit was associated with the prevalence of CRF at diagnosis [OR, 0.92; confidence interval (CI), 0.88-0.95], 6 months (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.92), and 2 years (OR, 0.91; CI, 0.87-0.96) after diagnosis. Lower hematocrit was associated with higher severity of CRF over time (beta-coefficient = 1.3; CI, 1.5-1.1). Lower hematocrit levels were longitudinally associated with a higher prevalence and severity of CRF in colorectal cancer. Our findings emphasize the importance of long-term anemia monitoring and a potential role of anemia in CRF among colorectal cancer survivors.

Prevalence of cancer-related fatigue based on severity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) affects therapeutic compliance and clinical outcomes including recurrence and mortality. This study aimed to comprehensively and comparatively assess the severity-based prevalence of CRF. From two public databases (PubMed and Cochrane Library), we extracted data containing information on both prevalence and severity of fatigue in cancer patients through December 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis to produce point estimates using random effects models. Subgroup analyses were used to assess the prevalence and severity by the organ/system tumor development, treatment phase, therapeutic type, sex and assessment method. A total of 151 data (57 studies, 34,310 participants, 11,805 males and 22,505 females) were selected, which indicated 43.0% (95% CI 39.2–47.2) of fatigue prevalence. The total CRF prevalence including ‘mild’ level of fatigue was 70.7% (95% CI 60.6–83.3 from 37 data). The prevalence of ‘severe’ fatigue significantly varied by organ/system types of cancer origin (highest in brain tumors 39.7% vs. lowest in gynecologic tumors 3.9%) and treatment phase likely 15.9% (95% CI 8.1–31.3) before treatment, 33.8% (95% CI 27.7–41.2) ongoing treatment, and 24.1% (95% CI 18.6–31.2) after treatment. Chemotherapy (33.1%) induced approximately 1.5-fold higher prevalence for ‘severe’ CRF than surgery (22.0%) and radiotherapy (24.2%). The self-reported data for ‘severe’ CRF was 20-fold higher than those assessed by physicians (23.6% vs. 1.6%). Female patients exhibited a 1.4-fold higher prevalence of ‘severe’ fatigue compared to males. The present data showed quantitative feature of the prevalence and severity of CRF based on the cancer- or treatment-related factors, sex, and perspective of patient versus physician. In the context of the medical impact of CRF, our results provide a comparative reference to oncologists or health care providers making patient-specific decision.

Prevalence and factors associated with cancer-related fatigue in Swiss adult survivors of childhood cancer

PurposeReported prevalence of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among childhood cancer survivors (CCS) varies widely, and evidence on factors associated with CRF among CCS is limited. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of CRF and its associated factors among adult CCS in Switzerland.MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, we invited adult CCS who survived at least 5 years since last cancer diagnosis, and were diagnosed when age 0–20 years and treated at Inselspital Bern between 1976 and 2015 to complete two fatigue-measuring instruments: the Checklist Individual Strength subjective fatigue subscale (CIS8R; increased fatigue 27–34, severe fatigue ≥ 35) and the numerical rating scale (NRS; moderate fatigue 4–6, severe fatigue 7–10). We collected information about previous cancer treatment and medical history, and calculated β coefficients for the association between CIS8R/NRS fatigue scores and potential determinants using multivariable linear regression.ResultsWe included 158 CCS (participation rate: 30%) with a median age at study of 33 years (interquartile range 26–38). Based on CIS8R, 19% (N = 30) of CCS reported increased fatigue, yet none reported severe fatigue. CRF was associated with female sex, central nervous system (CNS) tumors, sleep disturbance, and endocrine disorders. Lower CRF levels were observed among CCS age 30–39 years compared to those younger.ConclusionsA considerable proportion of adult CCS reported increased levels of CRF.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsCCS who are female and < 30 years old, have a history of CNS tumor, report sleep disturbance, or have an endocrine disorder should be screened for CRF.

Development and external validation of a machine learning-based prediction model for the cancer-related fatigue diagnostic screening in adult cancer patients: a cross-sectional study in China

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common symptom in cancer patients and may interfere with patients' daily activities and decrease survival rate. However, the etiology of CRF has not been identified. Diagnosing CRF is challenging. Thus, our study aimed to develop a CRF prediction model in cancer patients, using data that healthcare professionals routinely obtained from electronic health records (EHRs) based on the 3P model and externally validate this model in an independent dataset collected from another hospital. Between April 2022 and September 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted on adult cancer patients at two first-class tertiary hospitals in China. Data that healthcare professionals routinely obtained from electronic health records (EHRs) based on the 3P model were collected. The outcome measure was according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for CRF. Data from one hospital (n = 305) were used for model development and internal validation. An independent data set from another hospital (n = 260) was utilized for external validation. logistic regression, random forest (RF), Naive Bayes (NB), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were constructed and compared. The model performance was evaluated in terms of both discrimination and calibration. The prevalence of CRF in the two centers was 57.9% and 56.1%, respectively. The Random Forest model achieved the highest AUC of 0.86 among the four types of classifiers in the internal validation. The AUC of RF and NB were above 0.7 in the external validation, suggesting that the models also have an acceptable generalization ability. The incidence of CRF remains high and deserves more attention. The fatigue prediction model based on the 3P theory can accurately predict the risk of CRF. Nonlinear algorithms such as Random Forest and Naive Bayes are more suitable for diagnosing and evaluating symptoms.

Fatigue and associated factors among adult cancer patients receiving cancer treatment at oncology unit in Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Fatigue is one of the most commonly and frequently reported symptoms by cancer patients. The cause of fatigue is multifactorial in origin, and its impact varies in range from affecting patients' daily social life, and physical, mental, economic, and social well-being to becoming a threat to their quality of life. Therefore every cancer patient needs to be screened for fatigue and considered as one of the vital signs. To assess the prevalence of fatigue and associated factors among adult cancer patients, receiving cancer treatment at the oncology unit in Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2022. Institutional-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among adult cancer patients receiving cancer treatment from May 9th-June 8th, 2022. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and then exported to the SPSS statistical package version 23 for further analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out. P-values <0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were considered statistically significant. The prevalence of cancer-related fatigue was 77.3% at 95% CI (73.1-81.1) with nonresponse rate of 1.97% (9). Poor social support (AOR = 3.62; 95% CI: 1.53-8.60), anxiety (AOR = 3.13; 95% CI: 1.54-6.36), physical inactivity (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI: 1.74-7.54), underweight (AOR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.05-3.90), anemia (AOR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.04-3.90), surgery as a treatment modality (AOR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06-0.78), combination therapy (AOR = 3.56; 95% CI: 1.68-7.54), treatment less than 3 cycle (AOR = 4.43; 95% CI: 1.53-12.80), and treatment 3-5 cycle (AOR = 3.55; 95% CI: 1.38-9.09) were significantly associated factors with cancer related fatigue. Psychosocial assessment and intervention, nutritional support, early intervention of anemia, and promoting exercise are the key elements to minimizing fatigue among cancer patients.

Cancer-related fatigue in hospitalised patients treated for lymphoma and its burden on family caregivers.

To investigate the prevalence of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with lymphoma and to explore the burden of CRF on the family caregivers (FCs). A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in China. Patients with lymphoma who received treatment in the in-patient ward of the Haematology Department were consecutively recruited. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather information related to the patients' sociodemographic characteristics and perceived CRF and its burden on the FCs. Cochran-Armitage trend analysis and Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to determine the association between CRF and the FCs' burden. Of the 116 cancer patient-FC dyads, about 70% of patients experienced some level of fatigue, while 51% of unpaid family members suffered some degree of depression. The Cochran-Armitage trend analysis showed that the FCs' burden significantly increased with the severity of CRF. Logistic regression indicated that the FCs of the patients reporting fatigue experienced a higher burden in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. The prevalence of CRF appeared to be high among patients with lymphoma. It might be important to design innovative health-promoting practices for ameliorating or preventing the impact of fatigue.

Fatigue and Its Related Factors Among Iranian Cancer Survivors.

Introduction: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the major problems experienced by cancer patients. Identifying the prevalence and factors associated with CRF may be effective in designing appropriate interventions to reduce this problem. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of CRF and its related factors among Iranian cancer survivors. Methods: The samples of this descriptive cross-sectional study included 131 cancer survivors referred to outpatient clinic of Shahid Gazi Hospital affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 13, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis. Results: The mean (SD) fatigue score was 6.41 (1.68) and 89% of survivors reported that they had suffered from CRF. The factors affecting CRF included blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, anemia, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), marital status, type of cancer, and physical activity. Conclusion: High level of CRF in cancer survivors requires special attention and designing effective interventions through considering the identified factors associated with CRF.

Fatigue prevalence in men treated for prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDThe side effects of prostate cancer (PCa) treatment are very prominent, with cancer-related fatigue (CRF) being the most common. Fatigue is a distressing symptom that interferes with daily functioning and seriously affects patient quality of life during, and for many years after, treatment. However, compared with other types of cancer, such as breast cancer, little is known about the prevalence of PCa-related fatigue.AIMTo determine the prevalence of CRF in patients with PCa.METHODSA systematic search of EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG DATA, Technology Journal Database and the Chinese Biological Medical Database was conducted up to July 28, 2020. Included studies measured the incidence of PCa-related fatigue and differentiated fatigue outcomes (incidence) between treatment modalities and fatigue assessment times. In our meta-analysis, both fixed and random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled prevalence of PCa-related fatigue. Subgroup analyses were performed using treatment modalities and fatigue assessment times. Publication and sensitivity bias analyses were performed to test the robustness of the associations.RESULTSFourteen studies, involving 4736 patients, were eligible for the review. The pooled CRF prevalence was 40% in a total sample of 4736 PCa patients [95% confidence interval (CI): 29-52; P < 0.01; I2 = 98%]. The results of the subgroup analyses showed the prevalence of CRF after androgen deprivation therapy treatment, radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy to be 42% (95%CI: 20-67, P < 0.01, I2 = 91%), 21% (95%CI: 16-26, P = 0.87, I2 = 0%) and 40% (95%CI: 22-58, P < 0.01, I2 = 90%), respectively. The prevalence of acute and persistent fatigue was 44% (95%CI: 25-64; P < 0.01; I2 = 93%) and 29% (95%CI: 25-32; P = 0.30; I2 = 17%), respectively.CONCLUSIONOur meta-analysis showed that fatigue is a common symptom in men with PCa, especially those using hormone therapy.

Non Pharmacological Interventions to Manage Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) - An Overview

Fatigue is almost a common problem often reported by the cancer patients that severely affects all aspects of quality of life. Prevalence of cancer related fatigue ranges from 50% to 90% of cancer patients overall. After addressing treatable contributing factors, such as hypothyroidism, anemia, insomnia, pain, emotional distress, medication adverse effects, metabolic disturbances, or organ dysfunction such as heart failure, myopathy, and pulmonary fibrosis, patients may be screened with a short fatigue assessment tool. There is a pressure for pharmacologic therapy to shift away from reliance on opioids and ineffective procedures toward comprehensive cancer related fatigue (CRF) management that includes evidence-based nonpharmacologic options. This review details the magnitude of the current CRF problem including its impact on quality of life as well as the challenges of CRF management for patients and a healthcare workforce engaging prevalent strategies not entirely based in current evidence. Transforming the current system of CRF care to a responsive comprehensive model necessitates those options for treatment and collaborative care must be evidence-based and include effective nonpharmacologic strategies that have the advantage of reduced risks of adverse events and addiction liability. Patients with cancer related fatigue may benefit from self-administrable nonpharmacological interventions without any side effects. Health care personnel often have insufficient knowledge about fatigue and its treatments or underestimate the impact of fatigue on quality of life. A practical review may be useful to health care professionals in order to identify the cancer related fatigue during the early period of cancer process and treat it effectively to improve the quality of life which contribute to the positive outcomes in cancer clients. Therefore, the main purpose of this review is to analyze the possible nonpharmacological approach to manage cancer related fatigue and recommend future research that will clarify these approaches and facilitate the formulation of new treatment options.

170P Predictors for cancer-related fatigue among patients with advanced lung cancer attending palliative care department: A prospective observational study

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among patients with lung cancer (LC) is present before and after treatment and present in about three fourth of cases. CRF is often a common unmet need affecting the quality of life of patients with LC. We conducted this study to understand the predictors for CRF among patients with LC attending the palliative care department in our center. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among patients having LC. The study was conducted on patients referred to the palliative care department of Tata Medical Center, Kolkata from January 2019 to June 2019. Those patients whose Karnofsky status is less than 40, with a history of diabetes, heart disease, psychiatric disease, and psychotropic drugs were excluded from the study. Edmonton Symptom Scale was used to assess the various symptoms like pain, fatigue, nausea, depression, anxiety, appetite, well-being, cough, and shortness of breath. History of any surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy along with blood investigations like serum albumin, hemoglobin, and white blood cell count was documented. Results: Eighty-four patients with LC with a mean age of 61.5 years were included in the present study. The prevalence of CRF was 48.80%. Univariate analysis revealed that the presence of cough (p < 0.001), breathlessness (p < 0.001), hemoglobin levels (p = 0.012), and radiotherapy treatment (p = 0.038) to be associated with fatigue. After multiple logistic regression analysis with fatigue as outcome variable, revealed that presence of cough [OR = 3.80; 95% CI = 1.13 to 12.80;(p = 0.031)] and breathlessness [OR = 3.57; 95% CI = 1.19 to 10.73; (p = 0.023)] as significant predictors affecting fatigue among lung cancer patients. Conclusions: Half of our patients with LC had CRF. The presence of cough and breathlessness were significant factors that affected the CRF in the present study after the confounding factors were adjusted. Further studies on this associated symptom cluster of fatigue, breathlessness, and cough have to be conducted. While managing the patients with fatigue it is important that these associated symptoms like cough and breathlessness have to be handled. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Prevalence of Cancer-related Fatigue among Women with Breast Cancer in Erbil City

Background and objective: Cancer-related fatigue is greatest frequent upsetting sense of tiredness or exhaustion can happen regardless of cancer type and could be experienced physically or emotionally, and or cognitively, that is associated with the tumor or its treat-ment. The current study aimed at assessing prevalence of cancer related fatigue among women with breast cancer. Method: A descriptive cross- sectional study design was conducted from 8th of October 2018 to 8th October 2019. To find out the prevalence of cancer-related fatigue among fe-male breast cancer patients at Nankali Hospital in Erbil city. A sample of 60 breast cancer patient was obtained through non-probability purposive convenience sampling tech-niques. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 for windows. Results: The results showed that the highest percentage of participants (45%) were from age group between 39-54, most of them were from urban area, graduated from primary school, married, however; 53.3% of breast cancer women they had family history of breast cancer. Regarding breast cancer stages, 40% of participants were in third stage. Most of the breast cancer patients were receiving chemotherapy treatment and they had surgery (81.7% and 71.7% respectively). Concerning cancer related fatigue 75% of participants suffered from fatigue, nonetheless; fatigue severity among participants range from severe 53.3% to moderate 48.3%. Also, physical fatigue was a common type of fatigue among women with breast cancer. Conclusion: One of the most common complains symptom of patient with cancer is fa-tigue. Cancer related fatigue impact physical, emotional, cognitive domains of patients’. Moreover, cancer-related fatigue has undesirable effect on patients, mood, daily task per-formance, and the patient’s life.

Assessment of cancer-related fatigue among Jordanian patients: a cross-sectional survey.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is considered to be one of the most common symptoms reported by cancer patients. However, little information is available regarding the variables associated with CRF among Jordanian patients. To assess the prevalence of CRF and explore its predictors among Jordanian patients. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Of the 240 patients surveyed, 210 (87.5%) had fatigue at the time of the survey. The total mean fatigue score was 6.2 (SD=1.7) out of a maximum possible score of 10. The results also showed that being unemployed, with longer hospitalisation, low haemoglobin, and having lung cancer seem to predict higher levels of CRF. Several variables and factors associated with CRF were identified. In response to these results, healthcare providers should pay more attention to CRF, which needs to be assessed on a regular basis and to be managed with the available pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

To assess the Prevalence and Predictors of Cancer-related Fatigue and its Impact on Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study.

Introduction:Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the adverse outcomes of cancer and its treatment. Despite its high prevalence; the data are scarce from the Indian population on the prevalence of CRF and its predictors in advanced cancer patients. Hence, we aim to find the prevalence of the fatigue, its impact of fatigue on quality of life (QOL), and possible predictors.Methods:This study was conducted after approval of the ethical committee in adult patients of advanced cancer receiving palliative care. The data collected included demographic details, nutritional status, any comorbidities involving cardiorespiratory, renal, pulmonary, and neurological system, type and stage of cancer, site of metastasis, any previous or ongoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, history of drug intake, hemoglobin, and albumin. The study parameters included assessment of fatigue, QOL, and symptom assessment as per the validated tools. The primary objective of the study was to find the prevalence of fatigue in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. The secondary objectives were to find predictive factors of fatigue, its impact on QOL of patients, and the relation between the fatigue and QOL receiving palliative care. The correlation between fatigue score and QOL was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed for identifying the predictors of CRF.Results:The fatigue was observed in all 110 patients in this study. Of these, severe fatigue was seen in 97 patients (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy [FACIT]-F < 30). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) FACIT-F score was 14 (8–23). The median (IQR) of the overall QOL was 16.66 (16.6–50). The correlation between the fatigue (FACIT-F) and QOL was + 0.64 (P < 0.001). The predictors of fatigue included pain, physical functioning, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, tiredness, and the level of albumin.Conclusion:We conclude that the prevalence of fatigue in Indian patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care was high and it has a negative impact on QOL. Pain, physical functioning, performance status, and albumin were found to be independent predictors of CRF.

The association of cancer-related fatigue with all-cause mortality of colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors: Results from the population-based PROFILES registry.

PurposeCancer‐related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most prevalent symptoms experienced by cancer survivors. However, researchers are only beginning to elucidate the risk factors, underlying mechanism(s), and its association with other outcomes. Research on the association between CRF and mortality is limited.MethodsThe study sample comprised 2059 short‐term (<5 years postdiagnosis) cancer survivors from four PROFILES registry studies. Survivors diagnosed with stage I‐III colorectal cancer (CRC) or stage I‐III endometrial cancer (EC), with no evidence of disease, were identified and followed‐up by the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Assessment Scale. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics were performed to assess the association of CRF with all‐cause mortality. Date of censoring was February 1, 2017.ResultsPrevalence of CRF varied between 35.8% (male CRC) and 43.6% (female CRC). After a median follow‐up period of 9.0 years, a total of 408 survivors (20%) had died. CRF was associated with increased all‐cause mortality in male CRC survivors (HRadj = 1.75, 95% CI [1.31‐2.33]). This association remained statistically significant after excluding survivors experiencing anhedonia. For female CRC (HRadj = 1.32, 95% CI [0.90‐1.97]) and EC (HRadj = 1.27, 95% CI [0.84‐1.90]) survivors, there was no significant association with all‐cause mortality for the fatigued group in multivariable analyses.ConclusionOur study found that CRF is significantly associated with all‐cause mortality in male CRC survivors, irrespective of potential confounders. This result suggests that clinicians should increase their attention towards the recognition and treatment of CRF.

Policy analysis of access to and reimbursement for nonpharmacologic therapies for cancer-related fatigue.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important public health issue that involves millions of community-dwelling cancer survivors. CRF is the most debilitating patient reported symptom related to cancer therapies and exacts a significant economic and social toll. It adversely impacts patients' work, social relationships, and overall quality of life. CRF prevalence ranges from 30% to 90% during therapy and often persists months and years afterwards. This policy analysis examines the problem of lack of patient access to evidence-based nonpharmacologic CRF therapies. The authors use a five-step process described by Teitelbaum & Wilenski (2017) to address the problem statement, identify key stakeholders, explore problem landscape, describe two viable policy options, and make a recommendation. The two policy options considered were: (a) insurer reimbursements modeled after existing cardiac rehabilitation programs and (b) health care provider incentives that incorporate the oncology care model (OCM) quality measure. Advantages and disadvantages of both options are presented. Public health nurses are uniquely positioned in their communities to advocate for these changes to improve population health.

The course of cancer related fatigue up to ten years in early breast cancer patients: What impact in clinical practice?

Little is known about the cancer related fatigue (CRF) along cancer course and risk factors that could predict CRF development and persistence in breast cancer (BC) survivors.This prospective study detected incidence, timing of onset, duration of CRF, impact on QoL and psychological distress.Seventy-eight early BC patients, undergoing chemotherapy (CT) followed or not by hormonal therapy were assessed for QoL and psychological distress by EORTC QLQC30 and HADs questionnaires. Fatigue was investigated with mix methods, structured interview and psychometric measures. A qualitative analysis was added to assess the behavioral pattern of CRF.Low fatigue levels were identified after surgery (9%), increasing during (49%) and at the end of CT (47%), maintaining after 1 year (31%) and declining up to ten years of follow-up. Prevalence of CRF was higher at the end of CT and lower at follow-up. At the end and after 1 and 2 years from CT, persistence of CRF was associated to anxiety in 20%, 11% and 5% and to depression in 15%, 10% and 5% respectively. A relationship between CRF and psychological distress was observed; patients presenting depression and anxiety before CT were at higher risk for fatigue onset at a later period. A relationship between fatigue and QoL was noted at the end of CT.Our study shows the fatigue timely trend in early BC patients from surgery, CT and follow-up. Identification of biological, psychological, social predictor factors related to fatigue could be helpful for early interventions in patients at higher risk of developing fatigue.

Tumorassoziierte Fatigue in der onkologischen Rehabilitation

Aim of the study was to provide information about the prevalence of cancer related fatigue and the association between treatment-related factors and fatigue in cancer patients during the rehabilitation care. In a multicenter study 693 cancer patients (27% breast cancer, 17% prostate cancer etc.) completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and sociodemographic and treatment information was noted. 51% of the patients suffer from fatigue (n=356). Fatigue prevalence differed according to tumour localization (p≤0.001). There was a substantial association between fatigue and treatment condition in terms of the combination of surgery and radiation (p≤0.05). Fatigue was high prevalent in patients in the rehabilitation care. Thus, fatigue should be routinely screened and after differentiated diagnostics be considered in rehabilitation care plans.

Evaluation of Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF) In Women with Gynecological Malignancies: A Subjective Report of Psychosocial Issues in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Malignant Ovarian Tumors in India

Background: Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF) is one of the most disabling and distressing symptoms affecting physical and emotional wellbeing of patients diagnosed with cancer or receiving its treatment. This poses a detrimental impact on Quality of Life (QOL) of majority of the patients. Although its assessment and identification has been enormously acknowledged in oncology care, however it is being seldom addressed or reported in majority of the Indian patients. Objective: The current study explores the prevalence of Cancer related fatigue among Indian ovarian cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Material and Methods: Using Multidimensional Assessment of fatigue inventory (MAF inventory), fatigue and its severity was assessed and an in-depth semi structured interview schedule was constructed to explore psychosocial concerns of the patients. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 21. Results: Eighty-nine women with confirmed ovarian malignancies were included, and 38% of them were in fourth decade of life, followed by 28% and 20% in fifth and sixth decades respectively. Almost 41% of women had not even received their primary education and most (83%) came from middle social economic families. Nearly half of them were aware of their diagnosis but only 13% had awareness of the prognosis. Conclusion: Majority of Indian women with malignant ovarian cancer experience fatigue, during their chemotherapy. Elderly women experience it more than younger counterparts. Also associated with it are many psychosocial concerns that are of significant relevance, while they receive chemotherapy. Future research should explore more physical and psychological parameters associated with fatigue so that appropriate psychological therapies and intervention are designed to address this clinically significant issue. Also irrespective of their awareness of their disease diagnosis and prognosis, patients should be counseled for expected fatigue so that they cope up well it, which can lead to their better Quality of Life.