title: Fatigue in breast cancer survivors two to five years post diagnosis: a HEAL Study report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to estimate prevalence of fatigue, identify correlates of fatigue and evaluate the relationship between fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large cohort of disease-free breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants are enrolled in the HEAL Study, a multi-center prospective study of women diagnosed with in-situ to Stage IIIA breast cancer. HEAL participants (n = 1183) completed a baseline and a 24-month follow-up interview. Women in this report (n = 800) also completed a quality of life questionnaire that included the Piper Fatigue Scale and the RAND SF-36 two to five years after diagnosis. Multivariate regression methods were used to identify significant factors associated with fatigue. SF-36 scores for fatigued survivors were compared to non-fatigued survivor scores and population norms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one percent of the breast cancer survivors were fatigued. Significant correlates of fatigue included pain, cognitive problems, physical inactivity, weight gain/personal appearance and antidepressant use. Fatigue was associated with poorer HRQOL, most notably in areas of role and social functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides further support for the conclusion that a significant proportion of breast cancer survivors experience fatigue that compromises HRQOL two to five years post-diagnosis.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1444 Eastlake Avenue, Room 4449, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Meeske
authors: Ashley Wilder
authors: AW
authors: Smith
authors: Catherine M
authors: CM
authors: Alfano
authors: Bonnie A
authors: BA
authors: McGregor
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: McTiernan
authors: Kathy B
authors: KB
authors: Baumgartner
authors: Kathleen E
authors: KE
authors: Malone
authors: Bryce B
authors: BB
authors: Reeve
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Ballard-Barbash
authors: Leslie
authors: L
authors: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009516:New Mexico; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D018426:SEER Program; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014861:Washington