Fatigue in patients with prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, severity and correlates of fatigue in a convenience sample of outpatients with prostate cancer prior to and following 3-months treatment with first-line hormone therapy (cyproterone acetate and goserelin). 'Severe fatigue' in the patients (n=62) was defined as a score on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) greater than the 95th percentile of a group of elderly volunteers without cancer. Subjects also completed other questionnaires about fatigue and about quality of life, anxiety/depression and personality. Subjects underwent a nutritional assessment, tests of voluntary muscle function and attention. The prevalence of 'severe fatigue' at baseline was 8/58 (14%). Median FSS scores increased significantly after 3 months treatment. On multivariate analysis psychological distress explained 28% of the variance in fatigue scores. Treatment was associated with a reduction in voluntary muscle function, loss of muscle bulk, a decline in virility and potency, an improvement in pain and a reduction in nausea/vomiting. Fatigue is an important but under-recognised side-effect of hormone therapy.
Stone
P
P
Department of Palliative Medicine, The Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Downs Road, Surrey SM2 5PT, Sutton, UK. paddys@trinityhospice.org.uk
Hardy
J
J
Huddart
R
R
A'Hern
R
R
Richards
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D017273:Goserelin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D017273:Goserelin; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen