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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Chronic fatigue and its correlates in long-term survivors of cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy.Vistad I, Fosså SD, Kristensen GB, Dahl AA Department of Gynaecology, Sorlandet Hospital HF, Kristiansand, Norway. ingvild.vistad@sshf.no OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of chronic fatigue (CF) and associated variables in locoregional cervical cancer survivors (CCSs) surveyed > 5 years after radiotherapy. Demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics of the CCSs were compared with normative data. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Department of Gynaecologic Oncology at Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, Oslo, Norway. POPULATION: Seventy-nine CCSs aged < or = 79 years, treated between 1994 and 1999, representing 62% of those invited. Normative data were based on various population studies of Norwegian women. METHODS: Data were collected by means of a mailed questionnaire, which included demographic variables and instruments covering fatigue, mental distress, sexual functioning, somatic impairments and quality of life (QOL). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported fatigue score and caseness of CF based on the fatigue questionnaire. RESULTS: CCSs showed 30% CF versus 13% reported in the general population (P= 0.001). CCSs with CF had a significantly lower QOL, higher levels of anxiety and depression and more physical impairments than those without CF. In a multivariable regression model, depression was the only variable significantly associated with CF in CCSs. CONCLUSIONS: More CCSs have CF than age-matched women in the general population. CF should be of clinical concern since these women also frequently have treatable mental and physical problems. Published 6 September 2007 in BJOG, 114(9): 1150-8.
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