Sudden Loss of Ovarian Function Exacerbate Cancer-related Fatigue in Patients with Ovarian Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether ovarian cancer and cancer-related fatigue are associated with a sudden loss of ovarian dysfunction.Methods: In total, we retrospectively analyzed 211 survivors of ovarian carcinoma from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2015 and January 2020. Fatigue was measured with the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS). Single and multiple linear regression were used to determine statistical differences.Results: Fatigue was reported in 206 of all completed questionnaires. Patients who had a menstrual period prior to treatment had a higher fatigue score. The CRF score was highest during the first two years after treatment and gradually decreased over time. Patients with sleep disorders became fatigued more easily. We identified a negative correlation between hemoglobin and CRF. There were no significant correlations between CRF, the number of chemotherapy cycles, the type of chemotherapy regimen, or the pathological subtype of ovarian cancer.Conclusion: CRF is common in ovarian cancer patients and improve CRF are important for improving the quality of life. The fatigue experienced by patients with ovarian cancer may be related to the deprivation of sex hormones. It may be prudent to add such hormones to the treatment regimen in order to improve CRF.