title: Fatigue in breast cancer patients: psychometric evaluation of the fatigue questionnaire EORTC QLQ-FA13.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatigue is a frequent symptom in breast cancer patients and breast cancer survivors. The aims of this study were to test a newly developed fatigue questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-FA13) and to detect prognostic factors of fatigue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 308 breast cancer patients (response rate: 91 %) were tested with the fatigue questionnaire EORTC QLQ-FA13 and the fatigue scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30. In addition, several other questionnaires were also adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The youngest age group of breast cancer patients was most strongly affected by fatigue. The psychometric analysis of the EORTC QLQ-FA13 supported a three-dimensional structure (physical, emotional, and cognitive fatigue). The reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94) was very good. Clinical factors such as time since diagnosis and received therapy did not significantly predict the level of fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatigue remains a severe problem in breast cancer patients, especially in younger women. Researchers or clinicians who want to measure fatigue have the choice between the short 3-item fatigue scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30, stressing the physical aspect of fatigue, and the long 13-item EORTC QLQ-FA13 scale with slightly better psychometric properties, including cognitive and emotional aspects of fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuhrmann
authors.affiliation: Section of Psycho-Oncology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehnert
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geue
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. andreas.hinz@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hinz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Cancer survivors; Fatigue; Psycho-oncology; Quality of life