Annals of Oncology 13:965-973, 2002
© 2002 European Society for Medical Oncology
Original Paper |
The impact of hemoglobin levels on fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients
Departments of 1Biological Psychiatry, 2General Psychiatry, 3Internal Medicine, 4Gynecology, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck; 5Department of Internal Medicine (Oncology), Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
Received 28 August 2001; revised 7 November 2001; accepted 20 November 2001.
Background
Although fatigue is a commonly reported symptom in cancer patients its etiology is still poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) levels and the subjective experience of fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients with mild or no anemia undergoing chemotherapy.
Patients and methods
Sixty-eight cancer patients (25 colorectal, 26 lung and 17 ovarian cancer) presently undergoing chemotherapy participated in the study. Fatigue was measured with the Multidimesional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), quality of life with The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30. In order to provide normative data for fatigue levels, the MFI-20 was also completed by a sex- and age-matched sample of 120 healthy controls.
Results
Compared with healthy subjects, cancer patients experienced significantly higher levels of subjective fatigue. Correlations between Hb values and subscales of the MFI-20 were moderate with a tendency to increase during chemotherapy. Hb values alone, however, do not fully account for the observed fatigue. Other symptoms, especially pain, dyspnea and sleep disturbances, also showed an association with perceived fatigue.
Conclusions
Despite significant correlations, these results indicate that Hb values only partially explain subjectively experienced fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients. It is suggested therefore that the treatment of fatigue must be multidimensional and involve all areas which contribute to the syndrome.
Key words: fatigue, quality of life, hemoglobin, cancer, chemotherapy, psychooncology
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