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Chronic fatigue and its correlates in long‐term survivors of cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy
Author(s) -
Vistad I,
Fosså SD,
Kristensen GB,
Dahl AA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01445.x
Subject(s) - norwegian , medicine , anxiety , depression (economics) , population , normative , quality of life (healthcare) , cross sectional study , cervical cancer , distress , chronic fatigue , physical therapy , cancer , clinical psychology , psychiatry , chronic fatigue syndrome , environmental health , philosophy , linguistics , nursing , epistemology , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
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 ≤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.