Fatigue in Cancer Patients Receiving Treatment with Radiotherapy

Abstract

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess and identify the prevalence of fatigue, severity level of fatigue and pattern of fatigue, to determine the relationship between fatigue and psychological factors thought to influence fatigue. Thirty-five cancer patients who were treated with localized radiation for the first time were surveyed by interview and participant observation in each week for 4 weeks. Thirty cancer patients who had never had radiotherapy were selected for the control group. The Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS was translated into Japanese) and two other fatigue scales were used for measuring fatigue.

The main results were as follows :

1. The PFS was identified reliability and validity .It was suggested that cancer related fatigue was associated with 4 dimensions of fatigue : behavior, affective, sensory and cognitive.

2. Cancer patients experienced a significant increase in fatigue through the 2nd to the 4th week of radiotherapy and the highest fatigue level was found in the 4th week of treatment. Eighty-six percent of cancer patients were experiencing mild to severe levels of fatigue in the 4th week of treatment.

3. Psychological distress (mood disturbance and depressive symptom) was associated with fatigue levels in the 3rd and 4th week of treatment.

These findings suggest that localized radiation treatment is associated with increased fatigue, symptoms of distress and psychological factors. By understanding these factors that relate to fatigue, nurses can plan interventions aimed at decreasing fatigue or helping the patient to live with fatigue.