Chronic cancer-related fatigue in long-term survivors of testicular cancer.
OBJECTIVE
High prevalence of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) has been reported among many groups of cancer survivors when compared to the general population. However, this topic has rarely been studied in long-term survivors of testicular cancer (TCSs). The present multi-centre study examines the prevalence of chronic CRF in Norwegian TCSs compared to chronic general fatigue (GF) in the Norwegian general population, and associations between a variety of relevant variables and CRF in TCSs.


METHODS
Participants were 1431 TCSs, aged 18-75, at an average of 11 years posttreatment (range 4.5-21 years), and a sample of 1080 age-matched men from the general Norwegian population (GenPop). The participants responded to a mailed questionnaire that included the Fatigue Questionnaire for the assessment of chronic CRF and chronic GF.


RESULTS
The prevalence of chronic CRF was 17.1% (95% CI 15.2-19.1%) among TCSs compared to 9.7% of chronic GF in GenPop (95% CI 8.0-11.5%). Regression analyses showed that poor quality of life (QOL), various psychosocial and somatic problems, and neuroticism were highly associated with presence of chronic CRF in TCSs.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic CRF is far more common among TCSs than chronic GF in the general population and is associated with poor QOL and multiple psychological and somatic health problems. As a consequence, fatigue should be in focus during routine follow-ups as well as later in the general medical care of TCSs.
Orre
Ingrid J
IJ
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. ingrid.orre@psybp.uib.no
Fosså
Sophie D
SD
Murison
Robert
R
Bremnes
Roy
R
Dahl
Olav
O
Klepp
Olbjørn
O
Loge
Jon H
JH
Wist
Erik
E
Dahl
Alv A
AA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018239:Seminoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy