| Cancer
Fatigue Fatigue
is a highly prevalent and disabling symptom of cancer and side effect of cancer treatment.
It affects between 60 and 90% of cancer patients and arises from multiple causes. As
prevalent as it is, patients often do not complain about it or view it as a treatable
complication of their treatment. Rather they try to grin and bear it. OSCR is presently
involved in a study to examine why patients do not report fatigue to try and describe the
barriers to better communication. Additionally, we have initiated a screening and
algorithm study to treat fatigue and study the impact of this treatment.
Ninety percent of cancer
patients suffer from fatigue, and 75% of cancer patients consider fatigue
a symptom to live with. Fatigue
is so prevalent because it arises from multiple factors (shown on
Table 1).
Table
1: Factors
that Influence Fatigue
| Physical |
Psychological |
| Pain |
Depression/Isolation |
| Sleep/Rest Patterns |
Anxiety |
| Nutrition (cytokines) |
Stress from
Relationship Changes |
| Medications |
Stress from Finances |
| Overall physical condition |
|
| Bone Marrow suppression |
|
| Gastrointestinal problems |
|
Patients who
experience fatigue are not alone. A
reported 60-99% of chemotherapy patients experience fatigue. Out of the total cancer population 78% experience
debilitating fatigue. Over
fifty percent of these patients feel fatigued on most days or everyday.
Factors associated with Chemotherapy Fatigue
-
Pathologic
-
Environmental
-
Psychological
-
Duration of illness
-
Drug interactions
-
Age
Barriers
to Fatigue Communication
In a collaborative study with Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, we have recently begun to assess the barriers to patient
communication of fatigue to their physicians. The study is being administered by Purdue
University Ph.D. student, Anne McVey, and will serve a dual purpose as her dissertation
thesis. Our goal is to assess 150 cancer patients, 75 each in city and rural settings.
This study will evaluate different barriers and any differences that may exist in rural
verses a metropolitan environment. Screenings will be carried out at
IOHC-South, IOHC-Main of Indianapolis,
Howard Community Hospital in
Kokomo, Putnam County
Hospital, Wabash County
Hospital, Jhtmler County
Hospital and Tipton County
Hospital.
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