Chronic fatigue mars breast cancer survivor QoL
Almost a third of women develop cancer-related fatigue syndrome (CRFS) after breast cancer, say UK researchers who found that patients experience a considerable impact on their quality of life (QoL) and mood.
The team from St George’s University of London says their results indicate that fatigue in breast cancer survivors is not due to physical deconditioning.
“Furthermore, they suggest that any beneficial effects of exercise in reducing subjective fatigue in this group are likely to be ‘indirect’ (eg, secondary to the beneficial effects of exercise on mood, immune functioning or sleep),” report author P Stone and co-workers.
The researchers followed up 200 women who were disease-free after completing primary breast cancer treatment between 3 months and 2 years earlier. The patients completed a diagnostic interview for CRFS and a structured psychiatric interview, as well as undergoing blood and urine tests, and wearing a wrist actigraph for 7 days to record periods of sleep and activity.
Overall, 30% of the women were diagnosed with CRFS, defined as significant fatigue for 2 weeks in the past month alongside 5–10 other fatigue-related symptoms that affect work or self-care. The fatigue should be related to cancer or cancer treatment rather than a comorbid psychiatric disorder, the team explains.
Analysis revealed that CRFS patients had significant differences in fatigue severity, mood, and quality of life compared with other breast cancer patients.
CRFS patients also had a significantly higher total white blood cell count and C-reactive protein level, and lower sodium level than patients without CRFS, but no difference in their 24-hour free cortisol levels.
In addition, CRFS was associated with poorer quality of sleep and more sleep disturbance but did not affect overall daytime activity levels or the patients’ circadian rhythm.
“We found subtle disturbances in immune and inflammatory markers, overall QoL, mood, and sleep quality in women with CRFS,” Stone et al summarize in the European Journal of Cancer.
“Future work should focus on further examination of the immune/inflammatory response and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis to identify specific causes of CRF that can be targeted for treatment in clinical practice,” they suggest.
“The potential overlap of this group with the chronic fatigue syndrome population may also provide directions for future research and management,” the authors add.
是在校学生吧,你可以在学校机房试下
可以q我 这个万方试下不了的 不过有其他办法