title: Caregivers of patients with cancer fatigue: a high level of symptom burden.
abstract: Fatigue is the problematic symptom identified by patients with cancer. However, fatigue has not been widely examined in caregivers of patients with cancer. In this study, 131 caregivers of patients diagnosed with advanced stage cancer and actively receiving radiotherapy reported experiencing the most difficulties with fatigue (mean 46.9; on a 0-100 scale, with a 10-point difference having clinical meaning) at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up (mean 48.3). This is in sharp contrast to other domains of quality of life and functioning being rated in the 60s, 70s and 80s by the caregivers of patients with cancer. Given the level of fatigue reported by the caregivers of patients with cancer, if confirmed by other investigators in larger and more diverse samples, interventions targeting caregiver fatigue should be explored.
authors: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: Matthew M
authors: MM
authors: Clark
authors: Pamela J
authors: PJ
authors: Atherton
authors: Maria I
authors: MI
authors: Lapid
authors: Sarah M
authors: SM
authors: Rausch
authors: Marlene H
authors: MH
authors: Frost
authors: Andrea L
authors: AL
authors: Cheville
authors: Jean M
authors: JM
authors: Hanson
authors: Yolanda I
authors: YI
authors: Garces
authors: Paul D
authors: PD
authors: Brown
authors: Jeff A
authors: JA
authors: Sloan
authors: Jarrett W
authors: JW
authors: Richardson
authors: Katherine M
authors: KM
authors: Piderman
authors: Teresa A
authors: TA
authors: Rummans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: burnout; cancer; caregivers; fatigue; quality of life; symptom burden