quality of life in 2-5 yr cancer survivors

[Lani]

fatigue is the big factor in 41% --pain, cognitive problems, inactivity, weight gain, antidepressant use associated. If inertia could be overcome, might exercise help many/most of these? Pool therapy? Just thinking out loud!

1: Qual Life Res. 2007 Apr 25; [Epub ahead of print]
Fatigue in breast cancer survivors two to five years post diagnosis: a HEAL Study report.

Meeske K,
Smith AW,
Alfano CM,
McGregor BA,
McTiernan A,
Baumgartner KB,
Malone KE,
Reeve BB,
Ballard-Barbash R,
Bernstein L.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1444 Eastlake Avenue, Room 4449, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA, lbern@usc.edu.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to estimate prevalence of fatigue, identify correlates of fatigue and evaluate the relationship between fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large cohort of disease-free breast cancer survivors. Methods Participants are enrolled in the HEAL Study, a multi-center prospective study of women diagnosed with in-situ to Stage IIIA breast cancer. HEAL participants (n = 1183) completed a baseline and a 24-month follow-up interview. Women in this report (n = 800) also completed a quality of life questionnaire that included the Piper Fatigue Scale and the RAND SF-36 two to five years after diagnosis. Multivariate regression methods were used to identify significant factors associated with fatigue. SF-36 scores for fatigued survivors were compared to non-fatigued survivor scores and population norms. Results Forty-one percent of the breast cancer survivors were fatigued. Significant correlates of fatigue included pain, cognitive problems, physical inactivity, weight gain/personal appearance and antidepressant use. Fatigue was associated with poorer HRQOL, most notably in areas of role and social functioning. Conclusion This study provides further support for the conclusion that a significant proportion of breast cancer survivors experience fatigue that compromises HRQOL two to five years post-diagnosis.
PMID: 17457697 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Audrey]

Thanks for posting this, Lani. I'm printing it out to show my husband why I still often need to take a nap during the day, even though my last treatment was several years ago. Exercise does help the energy level, looking forward to getting outside more now that the weather is nice.

[Sheila]

Does this mean I should get the in ground pool I've been wanting? I can feel the sun already!

[rosamarie]

Thank you for that Lani. Makes me feel better. I am nearly 2 years post diagnosis and still seem to get fatigue. I go a few days feeling OK and then it hits again, with headaches, backaches and awful tiredness. Nice to know it is pretty normal. I only finished herceptin a couple of months ago and was very tired on that, so I suppose it takes a while to get over it all.

[Mary Anne in TX]

Oh, my! And I was going to settle for a piece of exercise equipment!!!!!!

[Caroline UK]

Lani,
Thanks again for an interesting post. I finished radiotherapy in February, after a year of surgery, chemo and general body battering, and was beginning to feel better and better by the day. Last week I had a run of a few days of feeling completely wiped out, and there I was, only a year after diagnosis, thinking "Surely I should be feeling more energetic by now?"!
I'm feeling a a funny mixture of relief and "3-5 YEARS??*! Noooo!"
I too will print this one off, as a reminder to myself and others that this could go on for a while...