Relationship of cancer-related fatigue with psychoneurophysiological (PNP) symptoms in breast cancer survivors.
Chao-Pin Hsiao, Diane Von Ah, Mei-Kuang Chen and 1 others
PMID 38039708WHAT IT FOUND
In breast cancer survivors, depression was most strongly associated with cancer-related fatigue; sleep disturbance, bodily pain, cognitive ability and optimism also mattered.
Fatigue was worse with less bodily pain, so pain alone does not explain it.
Key findings
01In 373 breast cancer survivors, depression was the strongest predictor of cancer-related fatigue; depression alone was linked to 31% of the variance, and a one standard deviation increase in depression was linked to a 0.36 standard deviation increase in fatigue.
02Sleep disturbance, bodily pain, perceived cognitive ability and optimism were also major predictors of cancer-related fatigue.
03Fatigue was worse with less bodily pain, not more (r = −.45).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether depression, sleep problems, pain or cognition cause fatigue, or whether fatigue causes them. The sample was 93% White and mostly married, and only survivors who completed all outcomes were analysed, so it may not apply to more diverse survivors. All symptoms were self-reported, with no objective measures. The optimism finding may reflect its link with depression rather than a direct link with fatigue. The path models were exploratory, and the most complex model fit poorly.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating depression will reduce cancer-related fatigue. The study was cross-sectional and only showed associations, so it cannot prove cause or treatment effect.