Journal
CANCER
Volume 106, Issue 4, Pages 751-758Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.21671
Keywords
breast carcinoma; cancer survivor; fatigue; quality of life
Categories
Funding
- NCI NIH HHS [R01 CA063028, K07 CA90407, R01CA63028, K07 CA090407] Funding Source: Medline
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BACKGROUND. A longitudinal study was designed to evaluate the prevalence, persistence, and predictors of posttreatment fatigue in breast carcinoma survivors. METHODS. A sample of 763 breast carcinoma survivors completed questionnaires at 1-5 and 5-10 years after diagnosis, including the RAND 36-item Health Survey, Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression scale (CES-D), Breast Cancer Prevention Trial Symptom Checklist, and demographic and treatment-related measures. RESULTS. Approximately 34% of study participants reported significant fatigue at 5-10 years after diagnosis, which is consistent with prevalence estimates obtained at 1-5 years after diagnosis. Approximately 21% reported fatigue at both assessment points, indicating a more persistent symptom profile. Longitudinal predictors of fatigue included depression, cardiovascular problems, and type of treatment received. Women treated with either radiation or chemotherapy alone showed a small improvement in fatigue compared with those treated with both radiation and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS. Fatigue continues to be a problem for breast carcinoma survivors many years after cancer diagnosis, with 21% reporting persistent problems with fatigue. Several factors that may contribute to long-term fatigue are amenable to intervention, including depression and comorbid medical conditions.
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