title: Fatigue among short- and long-term thyroid cancer survivors: results from the population-based PROFILES registry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of this study were (i) to obtain insight into the prevalence of fatigue among short- and long-term thyroid cancer (TC) survivors, by comparing a sample of TC survivors with an age- and sex-matched normative population, and (ii) to investigate which demographic, clinical, and TC-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) characteristics were associated with fatigue.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients found to have TC between 1990 and 2008, as registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, received a cross-sectional survey on fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale), TC-specific HRQoL (THYCA-QoL), and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The fatigue scores were compared with those of an age- and sex-matched normative population (n=530). Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the independent associations between clinical and demographic characteristics, TC-specific HRQoL, and psychological distress with fatigue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-six percent (n=306) responded. TC survivors were more often classified as fatigued or very fatigued (short-term <5 years: 43%; long-term 5-10 years: 44%; long-term 10-15 years: 47%; long-term >15 years: 39%) compared to the normative population (25%; p<0.001). Anxiety (odds ratio (OR) 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.28) and depression (OR 1.43 [CI 1.22-1.68]) were associated with fatigue, as was also the case for TC-specific neuromuscular (OR 1.03 [CI 1.01-1.06]), concentration (OR 1.03 [CI 1.01-1.06]), and psychological TC-specific HRQoL (OR 1.06 [CI 1.02-1.10]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short- and long-term TC survivors report higher levels of fatigue than an age- and sex-matched normative population do. Both TC-specific HRQoL and psychological distress were associated with fatigue.
authors.affiliation: 1 Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases, Tilburg University , Tilburg, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Husson
authors.forename: Willy-Anne
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Nieuwlaat
authors.forename: Wilma A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Oranje
authors.forename: Harm R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Haak
authors.forename: Lonneke V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: van de Poll-Franse
authors.forename: Floortje
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mols
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*