Fatigue Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Fatigue, including details on chronic fatigue syndrome, exhaustion, causes, diagnosis. | ||||||||
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Fatigue in long-term breast carcinoma survivors: a longitudinal investigation.Bower JE, Ganz PA, Desmond KA, Bernaards C, Rowland JH, Meyerowitz BE, Belin TR Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California at Los Angeles, 90095, USA. jbower@ucla.edu 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. Published 9 February 2006 in Cancer, 106(4): 751-8.
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