title: Cancer-related insomnia.
abstract: Insomnia increases cancer symptom burden and impairs quality of life. The lack of standard definitions and treatment guidelines makes management difficult. Insomnia is common in most cancers but appears particularly so in lung, breast, and head and neck tumors. Older women seem most susceptible. Insomnia not only affects patients with cancer but also caregivers and families. Systematic screening is important. Few validated assessment scales are available. Nonpharmacologic therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy may help. New nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics may have some therapeutic advantages over older agents. Management of associated or contributory symptoms like fatigue, pain, and hot flashes with appropriate symptom-specific agents is important. Successful management may have a significant positive impact on global quality of life.
authors.affiliation: The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA Department of Solid Tumor Oncology, Section of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Raghava R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Induru
authors.affiliation: The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA Department of Solid Tumor Oncology, Section of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA walsht@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Declan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: cancer; insomnia; quality of life; symptoms; therapeutics