Annals of Oncology Advance Access originally published online on May 26, 2005
Annals of Oncology 2005 16(9):1545-1550; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi267
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
© 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology
Screening studies for fatigue and laboratory correlates in cancer patients undergoing treatment
1 Division of Hematology–Oncology, Department of Medicine, 2 Division of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine and 3 Walther Cancer Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA
* Correspondence to: Prof. L. H. Einhorn, Indiana Cancer Pavilion, 535 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. Tel: 001-317-274-0920; Fax: 317-274-3646; Email: leinhorn{at}iupui.edu
Background: To understand the pathogenesis of fatigue in cancer, we conducted a cross-sectional study using Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) instruments to measure fatigue and assessed laboratory studies.
Patients and methods: 174 patients with cancer, who had undergone treatment within the last six months, answered the questionnaires and the Brief Version Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (BZSDS). Blood samples were drawn for hemoglobin, albumin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha). Testosterone levels were checked in male patients.
Results: Clinically significant fatigue with BFI 
4 was present in 52.0% of patients. Measurement of laboratory parameters revealed the following: DHEAS levels <80 mcg/dl in males and <36 mcg/dl in females=54.1%; BZSDS scores 27=20.1%; testosterone levels <200 ng/dl=26.4% of male patients. Significant correlations were noted between BFI and FACT-F, albumin levels, hemoglobin levels and BZSDS scores. In addition, for male patients BFI correlated with DHEAS and testosterone levels. In multiple linear regression, hemoglobin, BZSDS scores and current opioid use were associated with response BFI. For male patients, DHEAS <80 mcg/dl, increased BZSDS and testosterone <200 ng/dl were associated with increased BFI.
Conclusion: Fatigue is common in this population and BFI correlates with more extensive measurements. Abnormalities such as decreased testosterone and DHEAS may lead to interventions that can be therapeutically exploited.
Key words: cancer, dehydroepiandrosterone, fatigue, testosterone
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. H. Miller, S. Ancoli-Israel, J. E. Bower, L. Capuron, and M. R. Irwin Neuroendocrine-Immune Mechanisms of Behavioral Comorbidities in Patients With Cancer J. Clin. Oncol., February 20, 2008; 26(6): 971 - 982. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y.-H. Lai, S.-C. Shun, Y.-L. Hsiao, J.-F. Chiou, L.-L. Wei, J.-T. Tsai, and C.-Y. Kao Fatigue Experiences in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients During Six Weeks of Stereotactic Radiotherapy Oncologist, February 1, 2007; 12(2): 221 - 230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Price, G. Lewith, and K. Thomas Acupuncture Care for Breast Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy: A Feasibility Study Integr Cancer Ther, December 1, 2006; 5(4): 308 - 314. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|