title: Occurrence and predictors of the fatigue in high-grade glioma patients.
abstract: A better knowledge of the fatigue could be of the greatest importance for the high-grade glioma (HGG) patients, who are a unique and vulnerable population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and the predictors of the fatigue in HGG patients, using a specific fatigue scale. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The study population included sixty-seven consecutive outpatients with HGG. We used these measures: Brief Fatigue Inventory, Karnofsky Performance Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Psychological Distress Inventory and SF-36, EORTC QLQ-30 and EORTC QLQ-BN20 for quality of life (QoL). Sixteen out of sixty-seven (23.9 %) patients were affected by Anaplastic Astrocytoma and 51/67 (76.1 %) by Glioblastoma Multiforme. About one-third (36.2 %) of patients had a clinically relevant fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory ≥3). In regression analysis, physical and mental aspects of QoL were statistically significant related with fatigue (p < 0.01 and p < 0.02, respectively). Our data underlined the relevant occurrence of fatigue in HGG patients and support the development of further studies exploring a tailored rehabilitation program.
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Via Maresciallo Caviglia 30, 00194, Rome, Italy, iaprile@dongnocchi.it.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aprile
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Blasi
authors.forename: Maria Felice
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Arezzo
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Stasio
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balducci
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult