Fatigue and quality of life in patients with prostate cancer undergoing chemotherapy

Abstract

Background: Fatigue is a symptom that is often common among patients with prostate cancer, particularly those on chemotherapy treatment. In this study, the research team investigated cancer-related fatigue as it is experienced by patients with prostate cancer. Additionally, the impact that cancer-related fatigue has on the patients’ daily activities and their overall quality of life was also examined. The literature review explored prostate cancer as a disease and fatigue as a common side-effect of cancer treatment, along with its effect on daily living and on the quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore cancer-related-fatigue that patients with prostate cancer experience during their chemotherapy treatment as well as the impact it has on the overall quality of life of these patients. The objectives were to examine the incidence and severity of cancer-related-fatigue in patients with prostate cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment, to investigate the relationship of cancer-related-fatigue with quality of life and to explore the effect of cancer-related-fatigue on the quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. Methods: A descriptive study was used. The participants that took place in the study were 148 Greek-Cypriot men with prostate cancer, which attended the out-patient Oncology Departments of government hospitals in Cyprus. Self-reported fatigue in correlation with quality of life, were measured using the following instruments: EORTC-C30, EORTC QLQ PR25 and Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS). Descriptive statistics was used to present the demographic data and also to find the mean and standard deviation for all scales that were used in the study. Independent samples t-test was used to examine the differences in the quality of life between the two groups, those who scored below the cutoff point of 18 and above the cut-off point of 18. Regression analysis was performed, both simple and multiple regression, to examine the effect that cancer-related fatigue has on the quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. Results: The most frequent problem most patients reported was fatigue (51.6%), followed at lower rates by pain, nausea, insomnia and appetite loss. By using the cut-off point of 18, the study confirmed that fatigue is a major problem among patients with prostate cancer. The results also revealed that fatigue affects negatively patients’ quality of life. Conclusion: Subjective fatigue is a frequent problem among patients with prostate cancer as it affects their quality of life. Adequate intervention approaches for dealing with cancer-related fatigue ought to be instituted in order to enhance patients’ quality of life.