Although some cancer survivors report persistent fatigue years after treatment, little is known about the prevalence of the symptom in this population as compared with the general population. This article examines current evidence for the occurrence of fatigue in long-term cancer survivors by reviewing published population-based studies that incorporated controls from the general population. Using the search criteria “fatigue AND cancer survivors” in PubMed, the authors identified 16 articles (based on 15 cross-sectional datasets) comparing fatigue severities in survivors of adult cancers with those in the general population. When data allowed, Hedges' g effect size calculations were generated. A total of 8096 cancer survivors were examined across datasets. Cancer survivor sample sizes ranged from 15 to 1933 per dataset. Most datasets focused on either breast cancer (7) or Hodgkin's disease survivors (6). Four studies did not clearly exclude patients undergoing active treatment. Nine articles (based on 8 datasets) showed statistically significant (P < .05) differences among groups; 4 articles showed negative results; and 3 showed both positive and negative results depending on fatigue dimension measured. Among the studies that reported scores for the fatigue subscale of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Questionnaire for Quality of Life (most studies), mean fatigue levels in cancer survivors ranged from 28.7 to 36.5 out of an overall score of 100, and mean fatigue levels in matched general population controls ranged from 20 to 30 out of 100. No associations between instruments and results were apparent. Although the small numbers of studies prevented comparisons among cancer subtypes, equal positive and negative studies were seen in breast cancer survivors and, notably, no negative studies were seen involving Hodgkin's disease survivors. Most effect sizes calculated were small. Fatigue was a burden to both cancer survivors and members of the general population. While evidence for greater fatigue severity in cancer survivors was mixed, most studies reported greater fatigue in cancer survivors as compared with controls. The magnitude of this effect was generally small. Inferences from the data were limited by variability in both the definition of survivor and the fatigue assessments used, as well as by the cross-sectional design of the studies. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to determine causal relationships between excessive fatigue and surviving cancer.
Search Results
Ilana M. Braun, Donna B. Greenberg and William F. Pirl
Jimmie C. Holland, Barbara Andersen, William S. Breitbart, Bruce Compas, Moreen M. Dudley, Stewart Fleishman, Caryl D. Fulcher, Donna B. Greenberg, Carl B. Greiner, George F. Handzo, Laura Hoofring, Paul B. Jacobsen, Sara J. Knight, Kate Learson, Michael H. Levy, Matthew J. Loscalzo, Sharon Manne, Randi McAllister-Black, Michelle B. Riba, Kristin Roper, Alan D. Valentine, Lynne I. Wagner and Michael A. Zevon
Overview
In the United States, a total of 1,479,350 new cancer cases and 562,340 deaths from cancer were estimated to occur in 2009.
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All patients experience some level of distress associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at all stages of the disease. Surveys have found that 20% to 40% of patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent cancer show a significant level of distress.
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However, fewer than 10% are actually identified and referred for psychosocial help.
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Many cancer patients who are in need of psychosocial care are not able to get the help they need due to the under recognition of patient's psychological needs by the primary oncology team and lack of knowledge of community resources. The need is particularly acute in community oncology practices that have few to no psychosocial resources, and cancer care is often provided in short visits.
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For many centuries, patients were not told their diagnosis of cancer because of the stigma attached to the disease. Since the 1970s, this situation has changed and patients are well aware of their diagnosis and treatment options. However, patients are reluctant to reveal emotional problems to the oncologist. The words psychological, psychiatric, and emotional are as stigmatizing as cancer. Psychological issues remain stigmatized even in the context of coping with cancer. Consequently, patients often do not tell their physicians about their distress and physicians do not inquire about the psychological concerns of their patients. Recognition of patients' distress has become more difficult as cancer care has shifted to the...
Jimmie C. Holland, Barbara Andersen, William S. Breitbart, Luke O. Buchmann, Bruce Compas, Teresa L. Deshields, Moreen M. Dudley, Stewart Fleishman, Caryl D. Fulcher, Donna B. Greenberg, Carl B. Greiner, George F. Handzo, Laura Hoofring, Charles Hoover, Paul B. Jacobsen, Elizabeth Kvale, Michael H. Levy, Matthew J. Loscalzo, Randi McAllister-Black, Karen Y. Mechanic, Oxana Palesh, Janice P. Pazar, Michelle B. Riba, Kristin Roper, Alan D. Valentine, Lynne I. Wagner, Michael A. Zevon, Nicole R. McMillian and Deborah A. Freedman-Cass
The integration of psychosocial care into the routine care of all patients with cancer is increasingly being recognized as the new standard of care. These NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Distress Management discuss the identification and treatment of psychosocial problems in patients with cancer. They are intended to assist oncology teams identify patients who require referral to psychosocial resources and to give oncology teams guidance on interventions for patients with mild distress to ensure that all patients with distress are recognized and treated.
