The interplay between cancer-related fatigue and functional health in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.

Abstract

Objective: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is among the most distressing symptoms reported by cancer survivors as compromising their quality of life. This study investigates the complex interplay between CRF and functional health (FH) in survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma by using longitudinal data to clarify the etiology of CRF. Methods: Data from N = 3596 survivors (HD13-15) from the German Hodgkin Study Group was analyzed using bivariate latent curve models with structured residuals to model how the interplay between CRF and FH unfolds over time across and within individuals. CRF and FH were measured with the EORTC QLQ-C30. Assessed FH domains were physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and role functioning. Age at diagnosis, gender, country, baseline fatigue, and cancer stage were included as covariates. Results: The latent curve models with structured residuals had an adequate model fit (χ2 = 416.63–548.28, df = 114, p < .001, root mean square error of approximation = .03, comparative fit index = .98–.99, Tucker-Lewis index = .97–.98). On the between-person level, CRF and all FH domains were strongly negatively correlated (r = −.72 to r = −.84). On the within-person level, earlier CRF (ρF = −.05 to ρF = −.12) and FH deviations (ρFH = −.05 to ρFH = −.13) negatively predicted subsequent deviations of the respective other variable. Time-specific within-person improvements in physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning reduced CRF more than vice versa, whereas the effect of CRF was stronger for social functioning. Role functioning had a balanced relation with CRF. Conclusions: This analysis reveals a complex reciprocal relation between CRF and FH with distinct between- and within-person effects. The results contribute to a better understanding of CRF in survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma and could inform the development of much-needed targeted interventions.

Mindfulness Practices for Children and Adolescents Receiving Cancer Therapies

“…Cancer-related fatigue affects the quality of life of pediatric ( Grace et al, 2020 ) and adult patients ( Stadtbaeumer et al, 2020 ) which can contribute to depression and pain. It has been shown that mindfulness practices can have an impact on the quality of life of pediatric ( Tomlinson et al, 2020 ) and adult cancer patients ( Dehghan et al, 2020 ).…”

Cancer-related cognitive impairment in survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer: A scoping review

“…Of the longitudinal studies, four used self-reported outcomes 36,40,45,50 and one utilized neurocognitive assessments 48 . Qualitative studies did not specifically assess cognition, instead allowing cognitive concerns to emerge organically, so those are not included in the figure.…”

“…Most studies that examined age and cognitive impairments found that older age was associated with higher levels of impairment 31,36,45,46,56 . However, one article reported that younger survivors had more cognitive impairment 48 , one found that younger survivors reported worse functioning 44 , and one found no difference in cognitive function between older and younger survivors 28 .…”

“…Several articles reported that high physical fatigue and low cognitive function are comorbid and some suggest that they may be tightly coupled 31,32,39,45 . Husson et al 31,32 , Kreissl et al 36 , and Nugent et al 39 report correlations between worse perceived cognitive function and physical fatigue.…”

“…Husson et al 31,32 , Kreissl et al 36 , and Nugent et al 39 report correlations between worse perceived cognitive function and physical fatigue. Furthermore, Stadtbaeumer et al 45 showed that improvements in cognition reduced physical fatigue more than reductions in physical fatigue improved cognition.…”