title: Association of Fatigue with Perceived Stress in Chinese Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer Awaiting Adjuvant Radiotherapy.
abstract: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is common in women with breast cancer, but little is known of its relationship with perceived stress. We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the associations of CRF with perceived stress, anxiety, depression, pain and sleep quality in 133 Chinese women (aged 25-68 years) with early stage breast cancer. The majority of women had completed surgery and chemotherapy and were awaiting radiotherapy. Self-administered questionnaires consisting of the Brief Fatigue Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Pain Inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to collect data. Forty-five per cent of the women were severely fatigued. Compared with local healthy women and US breast cancer patients, the group's mean perceived stress score was significantly higher (both p < 0.01). Higher perceived stress (β = 0.18, p = 0.032), higher anxiety (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) and higher pain severity (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) were associated with increased severity of CRF. The association of CRF with perceived stress was partially mediated by anxiety, suggesting a possible pathway from cancer and cancer treatment to CRF via stress appraisals and emotional distress. The findings indicate the importance of monitoring the psychological status of patients during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Rainbow T H
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Tracy T C
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Irene K M
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Caitlin K P
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Phyllis H Y
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Paul S F
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Mai-Yee
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.affiliation: Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Cecilia L W
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Chinese; anxiety; breast cancer; cancer‐related fatigue; perceived stress