title: Changes in sleep and fatigue in newly treated pediatric oncology patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatigue has been reported as one of the most distressing symptoms in oncology patients, yet few have investigated the longitudinal course of sleep and fatigue in newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  To longitudinally assess presence and changes of sleep complaints and fatigue, we administered questionnaires designed to measure sleep complaints, sleep habits, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue to parents of pediatric oncology patients ages 2-18 and to pediatric oncology patients, themselves, ages 8-18 within 30 days of diagnosis (n = 170) and again 8 weeks later (n = 153).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bedtimes, wake times, and sleep duration remained relatively stable across the first 8 weeks of treatment. Sleep duration and fatigue were not related for the entire sample, though children's self-reported sleep duration was positively correlated with fatigue only at the baseline time point. Parent reports of fatigue significantly decreased for leukemia patients but remained rather high for solid tumor and brain tumor patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because fatigue remained high for solid tumor and brain tumor patients across the initial 8 weeks of treatment, this may highlight the need for intervention in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Mail Stop 101, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA, Valerie.crabtree@stjude.org.
authors.forename: Valerie McLaughlin
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rach
authors.forename: Kriston B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Schellinger
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hammarback
authors.forename: Belinda N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Mandrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020920:Dyssomnias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D010290:Parents; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
references.citation: Sleep Med. 2012 Apr;13(4):385-9
references.pmid: 22326832
references.citation: Sleep. 2004 Feb 1;27(1):87-94
references.pmid: 14998242
references.citation: Oncol Nurs Forum. 2010 Jan;37(1):E16-27
references.pmid: 20044328
references.citation: J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2010 Jul-Aug;27(4):217-28
references.pmid: 20562390
references.citation: Oncol Nurs Forum. 2007 Mar;34(2):393-402
references.pmid: 17573303
references.citation: Blood. 2000 Feb 1;95(3):790-4
references.pmid: 10648387
references.citation: Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008 Feb 15;5(2):242-52
references.pmid: 18250218
references.citation: J Pediatr. 2006 Sep;149(3):342-7
references.pmid: 16939744
references.citation: Oncol Nurs Forum. 2010 Jul;37(4):444-55
references.pmid: 20591804
references.citation: Oncol Nurs Forum. 2011 Nov;38(6):649-57
references.pmid: 22037328
references.citation: Support Care Cancer. 2012 Apr;20(4):805-12
references.pmid: 21533813
references.citation: Support Care Cancer. 2012 Jun;20(6):1211-9
references.pmid: 21660669
references.citation: Blood. 2002 Jul 1;100(1):52-8
references.pmid: 12070008
references.citation: J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003 Apr;25(4):319-28
references.pmid: 12691683
references.citation: J Epidemiol. 2010;20(2):143-9
references.pmid: 20139658
references.citation: J Pediatr. 2011 May;158(5):789-795.e1
references.pmid: 21146181
references.citation: Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2012 May;58(5):746-51
references.pmid: 22009579
references.citation: CA Cancer J Clin. 2010 Sep-Oct;60(5):277-300
references.pmid: 20610543
references.citation: Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2011 Apr 18;9:25
references.pmid: 21496357
references.citation: Curr Opin Pediatr. 2008 Dec;20(6):676-81
references.pmid: 19023918