title: Fatigue, quality of life, and mood states during chemotherapy in Italian cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In cancer patients, fatigue interferes with the individual's functioning and quality of life (QoL). We investigated the association between fatigue and the main QoL dimensions and mood states as well as the main sociodemographic and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 105 inpatients undergoing chemotherapy were administered the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale and the EORTC QLQ-C30 and POMS questionnaires, along with a form for collecting personal and clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with patients reporting lower fatigue levels, patients with higher levels showed worse functioning (P <0.001) in every QoL domain (i.e., physical, role, emotional, social, cognitive functioning, pain, and general health) as well as in the assessed mood states (depression-dejection, tension-anxiety, confusion-bewilderment). Moreover, both QoL and mood states in the subgroup reporting intermediate fatigue levels were worse than those of the subgroup with lower fatigue levels (P <0.02), except for emotional functioning, general health and QoL, and tension-anxiety. In addition, fatigue was significantly associated with gender, age, education, performance status, but not with marital status, survival rate of cancer type, and current chemotherapy cycle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The associations observed between fatigue, the main QoL domains, and negative mood states call for further active interventions to prevent and reduce fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Oncological Psychology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy. annunziata@cro.it
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Annunziata
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muzzatti
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bidoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018401:Sample Size; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires