Supportive intervention for fatigue in patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.
This study evaluated a supportive intervention for fatigue in patients undergoing chemotherapy. One hundred three chemotherapy-naïve patients were recruited, stratified by treatment regimen, and randomly allocated to intervention or usual care. The intervention was conducted over three months. Recipients were provided with an investigator-designed information pack and Fatigue Diary that they completed during the week following each treatment. Additionally, support nurses visited them monthly at home. They assessed fatigue, provided psychological support, and coached participants in self-care. The intervention group reported significantly less fatigue (P < 0.05), lower associated distress (P < 0.05), and less impact of fatigue on valued pastimes (P < 0.05) than the control group. Further, they reported significantly less anxiety (P < 0.05) and depression (P < 0.05) and displayed more adaptive coping (P < 0.05). The intervention enabled patients to adapt to living with fatigue and contributed to their psychological/emotional well-being and ability to cope with their illness and treatment.
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, King's College London, UK. emma.ream@kcl.ac.uk
Emma
E
Ream
Alison
A
Richardson
Caroline
C
Alexander-Dann
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents