Factors correlated with fatigue in terminally ill cancer patients: a longitudinal study.

Fatigue is among the most distressing symptoms experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. It is necessary to clarify factors correlated with fatigue to develop effective management strategies. A consecutive sample of cancer patients newly registered in the Palliative Care Unit (PCU) was assessed on three occasions: at the second visit to the outpatient clinic of the PCU (Time 1), three weeks after the Time 1 session over the telephone (Time 2), and at admission to the PCU (Time 3). The patients' fatigue and a broad range of biopsychosocial factors were assessed using the validated questionnaires, structured interviews, and medical record reviews at Time 1 and Time 3. Fatigue was the only factor assessed at Time 2. Two hundred patients participated in the Time 1 session, and 129 and 73 were followed at Time 2 and Time 3, respectively. Greater fatigue at Time 1 was significantly correlated with psychological distress, lower Karnofsky Performance Status score, dyspnea, and appetite loss (adjusted coefficients of determination [R(2)]=0.49). Greater fatigue at Time 2 was significantly correlated with psychological distress, lower Karnofsky Performance Status and fatigue at Time 1 (adjusted R(2)=0.51). Greater fatigue at Time 3 was significantly correlated with changes for the worse in psychological distress, Karnofsky Performance Status, and dyspnea severity during the period between Time 1 and Time 3, after adjusting for Time 1 fatigue (adjusted R(2)=0.54). The results indicate that fatigue in terminally ill cancer patients is determined by both physical and psychological factors. It may be important to include psychological intervention in the multidimensional management of fatigue in this population, in addition to physical and nursing interventions.

Hippocampal volume and first major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis in breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Patients experiencing their first major depressive episode after receiving a diagnosis of cancer are frequently seen in clinical oncology settings; however, little is known about the neurobiological basis of the first episode. In previous studies, a smaller hippocampus than in healthy comparison subjects has been observed in patients with a history of recurrent and prolonged major depressive episodes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether there is an association between hippocampal volume and a first major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis in cancer survivors. METHOD: The subjects were 68 female cancer survivors who had undergone breast cancer surgery 3 or more years earlier (mean interval=4.3 years, SD=0.9). The hippocampal volume and delayed recall function of the 17 cancer survivors who had their first major depressive episode after receiving their cancer diagnosis and the 51 with no history of major depressive episode at any time during their lives were measured by magnetic resonance imaging and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, respectively. RESULTS: The mean duration of the major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis was 11.9 weeks (SD=14.2). There were no significant differences in left or right hippocampal volume or in delayed recall function between the cancer survivors with and without a major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: First major depressive episodes after cancer diagnosis in female cancer survivors do not appear to be associated with hippocampal volume. However, a longitudinal study with healthy comparison subjects is needed to draw a definite conclusion.

Relationship between distressing cancer-related recollections and hippocampal volume in cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Having cancer is extremely stressful, and distressing cancer-related recollections are frequently reported by cancer survivors. Smaller hippocampal volume has been observed in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a similar association between distressing cancer-related recollections and hippocampal volume. METHOD: The subjects were 67 women who had had breast cancer surgery 3 or more years earlier and had no history of PTSD or major depression before the cancer. Each woman was evaluated with a semistructured interview to determine whether she had a history of distressing cancer-related recollections. Hippocampal volume was measured by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, and memory function was assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised. RESULTS: The volume of the left hippocampus was significantly smaller (5%) in the subjects with a history of distressing cancer-related recollections (N=28) than in those without any such history (N=39). There was no significant difference in right hippocampal volume or whole brain volume measured as a control. There were no significant differences in delayed memory or percentage retention. However, significantly worse immediate visual memory, but not verbal memory, was observed in the subjects with a history of distressing cancer-related recollections. CONCLUSIONS: Having distressing cancer-related recollections is associated with smaller left hippocampal volume in survivors of breast cancer.