Cancer-related Fatigue and its Relationship with Demographic and Clinical Characteristics

Background and objectives: Fatigue experience is a psychological experience therefore, the relevant caregivers’ acquaintance with this issue is the most important step in offering optimal care for the patients. Accordingly, this study was conducted to determine Cancer-related Fatigue and its Relationship with Demographic and Clinical Characteristics in Cancer Patients. A cancer diagnosis is a highly undesirable event for anyone. Methods: characteristics form and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. The data were analyzed with the SPSS- ۱۸ software and t-test and ANOVA and tukey post hoc test were used. In this analytical study, ۱۵۰ cancer patients visiting the oncology unit, the Shafa Radiotherapy Center,and Gorgan’s ۵th Azar Teaching Hospital in ۲۰۱۲, who were selected with a purposive sampling method,participated in the study for ۴ months. The required information was collected using a demographic and clinical Results: of treatment, ۵۱.۳% used chemotherapy-surgery-radiotherapy regimen, ۲۴.۷% surgery-chemotherapy regimen, ۱۴% used chemotherapy, ۷.۳% used radiotherapy, and ۲.۷% used surgery. The overall mean score of fatigue was ۵۴.۶۵±۸.۷۸ from ۱۰۰. The variables of residence (P=۰. ۰۱۸), the duration of marriage (P=۰.۰۱۸), the treatment regimen type (P<۰.۰۰۱), and the family’s economic status (P<۰.۰۰۰) were found to The patients’ mean age was ۴۸.۳۹±۱.۵ Of the patients, ۵۵.۳% had undergone less than ۱۲ months have a significant relationship with fatigue. Conclusion: Psychological interventions, besides physical caring and nursing interventions play a significant role in the all-inclusive management of cancer patients’ problems, in particular, their fatigue.

Keywords:

Fatigue , cancer patients , clinical characteristics , demographic characteristics