title: Fatigue in gynecological cancer patients during and after anticancer treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research has indicated that individuals with gynecological cancer experience severe fatigue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This longitudinal survey aimed to analyze the fatigue experienced over the course of one year by a gynecological cancer population, to determine if the fatigue was more severe than that reported by females without cancer, and to identify variables associated with cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected over a 12-month period before, during, and after anticancer treatment. Fatigue was assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form. Participants with cancer also completed the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five cancer patients (mean age = 57.4 years, standard deviation [SD] = 13.9) and 60 control subjects (mean age = 55.4 years, SD = 13.6) participated. Descriptive analysis and repeated measurements modeling indicated that the cancer participants reported worse fatigue than the noncancer individuals before, during, and after anticancer treatment (P < 0.001) and that the level of fatigue in persons with cancer changed with time (P = 0.02). A forward stepwise regression demonstrated that psychological distress level was the only independent predictor of CRF during anticancer treatment (P < 0.00), explaining 44% of the variance in fatigue. After treatment, both psychological distress level (P < 0.00) and physical symptom distress (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of fatigue, accounting for 81% of the variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychological distress level is an important indicator of CRF in gynecological cancer. Interventions focused on the reduction of psychological distress may help alleviate CRF.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nursing Research, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT37 0QB, United Kingdom. ge.prue@ulster.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prue
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gracey
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cramp
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents