Age- and sex-standardised prevalence rates of fatigue in a large hospital-based sample of cancer patients

S Singer, S Kuhnt, R Zwerenz, K Eckert, D Hofmeister, A Dietz, J Giesinger, J Hauss, K Papsdorf, S Briest, A Brown, S Singer, S Kuhnt, R Zwerenz, K Eckert, D Hofmeister, A Dietz, J Giesinger, J Hauss, K Papsdorf, S Briest, A Brown

Abstract

Background: The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine age- and sex-standardised prevalence rates of cancer-related fatigue in different groups of patients.

Methods: This was a prospective study in a cohort of N=1494 cancer patients investigating fatigue at three time points t1-t3 (t1: admission to hospital, t2: discharge, t3: half a year after t1). Fatigue was measured with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Age- and sex-adjusted norms were derived from a representative community sample of N=2037, using a cutoff at the 75th percentile.

Results: At admission to the hospital, 32% of the patients were classified as fatigued. At discharge, the overall prevalence rate was 40%, and at half a year after t1, prevalence was 34%. Fatigue prevalence rates differed according to tumour stage, site, age, and sex of the patients.

Conclusion: The prevalence rates provided by this study can be used for the planning of research and clinical routine.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Fatigue prevalence over time in different groups of patients: (A) gynaecological malignancies, (B) urological malignancies, and (C) gastro-intestinal tumours.

References

    1. Agasi-Idenburg C, Velthuis M, Wittink H (2010) Quality criteria and user-friendliness in self-reported questionnaires on cancer-related fatigue: a review. J Clin Epidemiol 63: 705–711
    1. Andrykowski MA, Jacobsen P (2010) Prevalence, predictors, and trajectory of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer (Bc) survivors. Ann Behav Med 39: 50
    1. Barsevick A, Beck SL, Dudley WN, Wong B, Berger AM, Whitmer K, Newhall T, Brown S, Stewart K (2010) Efficacy of an intervention for fatigue and sleep disturbance during cancer chemotherapy. J Pain Symptom Manage 40: 200–216
    1. Brix C, Schleussner C, Fuller J, Rohrig B, Strauss B (2009) Fatigue and its determinants in radio-oncology. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 59: 42–49
    1. Bruera E, Yennurajalingam S (2010) Challenge of managing cancer-related fatigue. J Clin Oncol 28: 3671–3672
    1. Cella D, Davis K, Breitbart W, Curt G, for the Fatigue Coalition (2001) Cancer-related fatigue: prevalence of proposed diagnostic criteria in a united states sample of cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 19: 3385–3391
    1. Curt GA, Breitbart W, Cella D, Groopman JE, Horning SJ, Itri LM, Johnson DH, Miaskowski C, Scherr SL, Portenoy RK, Vogelzang NJ (2000) Impact of cancer-related fatigue on the lives of patients: new findings from the fatigue coalition. Oncologist 5: 353–360
    1. Fayers P (2001) Interpreting quality of life data: population-based reference data for the EORTC QLQ-C30. Eur J Cancer 37: 1331–1334
    1. Goedendorp MM, Gielissen MFM, Verhagen CAH, Peters MEJW, Bleijenberg G (2008) Severe fatigue and related factors in cancer patients before the initiation of treatment. Br J Cancer 99: 1408–1414
    1. Hagelin CL, Wengstrom Y, Furst CJ (2009) Patterns of fatigue related to advanced disease and radiotherapy in patients with cancer-a comparative cross-sectional study of fatigue intensity and characteristics. Support Care Cancer 17: 519–526
    1. Heutte N, Flechtner HH, Mounier N, Mellink WAM, Meerwaldt JH, Eghbali H, van’t Veer MB, Noordijk EM, Kluin-Nelemans JC, Lampka E, Thomas J, Lugtenburg PJ, Viterbo L, Carde P, Hagenbeek A, van der Maazen RWM, Smit WGJM, Brice P, Kooy MV, Baars JW, Poortmans P, Tirelli U, Leeksma OC, Tomsic R, Feugier P, Salles G, Gabarre J, Kersten MJ, Van Den Neste E, Creemers GJM, Gaillard I, Meijnders P, Tertian G, Reman O, Muller HP, Troncy J, Blanc M, Schroyens W, Voogt PJ, Wijermans P, Rieux C, Ferme C, Henry-Amar M (2009) Quality of life after successful treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma: 10-year follow-up of the EORTC-GELA H8 randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol 10: 1160–1170
    1. Holzner B, Kemmler G, Greil R, Kopp M, Zeimet A, Raderer M, Hejna M, Zochbauer S, Krajnik G, Huber H, Fleischhacker WW, Sperner-Unterweger B (2002) The impact of hemoglobin levels on fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients. Ann Oncol 13: 965–973
    1. Holzner B, Kemmler G, Meraner V, Maislinger A, Kopp M, Bodner T, Nguyen-Van-Tam D, Zeimet AG, Fleischhacker WW, Sperner-Unterweger B (2003) Fatigue in ovarian carcinoma patients – a neglected issue? Cancer 97: 1564–1572
    1. Houborg KB, Jensen MB, Rasmussen P, Gandrup P, Schroll M, Laurberg S (2006) Postoperative physical training following colorectal surgery. A randomised, placebo-controlled study. Scand J Surg 95: 17–22
    1. Jean-Pierre P, Morrow GR, Roscoe JA, Heckler C, Mohile S, Janelsins M, Peppone L, Hemstad A, Esparaz BT, Hopkins JO (2010) A phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial of the effect of modafinil on cancer-related fatigue among 631 patients receiving chemotherapy. Cancer 116: 3513–3520
    1. Kuhnt S, Ernst J, Singer S, Ruffer JU, Kortmann RD, Stolzenburg JU, Schwarz R (2009) Fatigue in cancer survivors–prevalence and correlates. Onkologie 32: 312–317
    1. Kyrdalen AE, Dahl AA, Hernes E, Cvancarova M, Fossa SD (2010) Fatigue in hormone-naive prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy or definitive radiotherapy. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 13: 144–150
    1. Lower EE, Fleishman S, Cooper A, Zeldis J, Faleck H, Yu ZN, Manning D (2009) Efficacy of dexmethylphenidate for the treatment of fatigue after cancer chemotherapy: a randomized clinical trial. J Pain Symptom Manage 38: 650–662
    1. Meek P, Nail L, Barsevick A, Schwartz A, Stephen S, Whitmer K, Beck SL, Jones L, Walker B (2000) Psychometric testing of fatigue instruments for use with cancer patients. Nurs Res 49: 181–190
    1. Moraska AR, Sood A, Dakhil SR, Sloan JA, Barton D, Atherton PJ, Suh JJ, Griffin PC, Johnson DB, Ali A, Silberstein PT, Duane SF, Loprinzi CL (2010) Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of long-acting methylphenidate for cancer-related fatigue: north central cancer treatment group NCCTG-N05C7 trial. J Clin Oncol 28: 3673–3679
    1. Prue G, Allen J, Gracey J, Rankin J, Cramp F (2010) Fatigue in gynecological cancer patients during and after anticancer treatment. J Pain Symptom Manage 39: 197–210
    1. Purcell A, Fleming J, Bennett S, Burmeister B, Haines T (2010) Determining the minimal clinically important difference criteria for the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a radiotherapy population. Support Care Cancer 18: 307–315
    1. Riesenberg H, Lubbe AS (2010) In-patient rehabilitation of lung cancer patients – a prospective study. Support Care Cancer 18: 877–882
    1. Schwarz R, Krauß O, Hinz A (2003) Fatigue in the general population. Onkologie 26: 140–144
    1. Smets EM, Garssen B, Bonke B, de Haes JC (1995) The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) psychometric qualities of an instrument to assess fatigue. J Psychosom Res 39: 315–325
    1. Smets EM, Garssen B, Cull A, de Haes JC (1996) Application of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Br J Cancer 73: 241–245
    1. StataCorp (2009) Stata Statistical Software: Release 11. StataCorp LP, College Station, TX
    1. Teunissen SCCM, Wesker W, Kruitwagen C, De Haes HCJM, Voest EE, de Graeff A (2007) Symptom prevalence in patients with incurable cancer: a systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manage 34: 94–104
    1. Vogelzang NJ, Breitbart W, Cella D, Curt GA, Groopman JE, Horning SJ, Itri LM, Johnson DH, Scherr SL, Portenoy RK (1997) Patient, caregiver, and oncologist perceptions of cancer-related fatigue: result of a tripart assessment survey. Semin Hematol 34: 4–12

Source: PubMed

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

3
Subscribe