Occurrence of fatigue and associated factors in disease-free breast cancer patients without depression

Abstract

Studies on fatigue in disease-free breast cancer patients have consistently found a significant association between fatigue and depression; and some characteristics of this fatigue may be confused with and/or concealed by those of depression. To clarify the characteristics of fatigue in disease-free breast cancer patients, we examined the frequency of fatigue and associated factors in disease-free breast cancer patients without major depression. Seventy-nine ambulatory breast cancer patients without major depression who had been disease-free for more than 3 years since their surgery completed the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), a multidimensional scale assessing cancer-related fatigue. Participants also completed the Short-form Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQR) for assessing their personalities. Sociodemographic, physical, and treatment-related factors were also obtained by interview. We found that 36.7% of the patients exhibited fatigue and that fatigue was significantly associated with neuroticism. These results suggest that a considerable number of disease-free breast cancer patients without major depression experience fatigue and that careful attention to those exhibiting high neuroticism may be of benefit in ameliorating their fatigue.