Chronic fatigue and its correlates in long-term survivors of cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy

Objective  To describe the prevalence of chronic fatigue (CF) and associated variables in locoregional cervical cancer survivors (CCSs) surveyed >5 years after radiotherapy. Demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics of the CCSs were compared with normative data.
Design  Cross-sectional study.
Setting  Department of Gynaecologic Oncology at Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, Oslo, Norway.
Population  Seventy-nine CCSs aged ≤79 years, treated between 1994 and 1999, representing 62% of those invited. Normative data were based on various population studies of Norwegian women.
Methods  Data were collected by means of a mailed questionnaire, which included demographic variables and instruments covering fatigue, mental distress, sexual functioning, somatic impairments and quality of life (QOL).
Main outcome measures  Self-reported fatigue score and caseness of CF based on the fatigue questionnaire.
Results  CCSs showed 30% CF versus 13% reported in the general population ( P = 0.001). CCSs with CF had a significantly lower QOL, higher levels of anxiety and depression and more physical impairments than those without CF. In a multivariable regression model, depression was the only variable significantly associated with CF in CCSs.
Conclusions  More CCSs have CF than age-matched women in the general population. CF should be of clinical concern since these women also frequently have treatable mental and physical problems.