Fatigue in ambulatory patients with advanced lung cancer: Prevalence, correlated factors, and screening

Although it has been indicated that patients with lung cancer experience hi gher level of fatigue than patients with other cancers, few published studi es have focused on the characteristics of this fatigue and how it interfere s with daily activities. The purpose of this study was to clarify fatigue p revalence and the factors correlated with fatigue, and to develop a screeni ng method for fatigue in patients with advanced lung cancer. One hundred fi fty-seven patients completed two fatigue scales. (Cancer Fatigue Scale [CFS ], and Fatigue Numerical Scale [FNS]) plus other measures, along with a sel f-administered questionnaire asking whether fatigue had interfered with any of 7 areas of daily activities. Fifty-nine percent of patients had experie nced clinical fatigue, which was defined as fatigue that interfered with an y daily activities. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that symptoms of dyspnea on walking, appetite loss, and depression were significant corr elated factors. Both CFS and FNS were found to have sufficient sensitivity and specificity for use as a screening tool. The results indicated that fat igue is a frequent and important symptom, which is associated with both phy sical and psychological distress in this population. The CFS and FNS were c onfirmed to have sufficient screening ability. J Pain Symptom Manage 2001;2 2:554-564. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 2001.