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Sleep disturbance and cancer-related fatigue symptom cluster in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

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Abstract

Purpose

Sleep disturbance and cancer-related fatigue (CRF) are among the most commonly reported symptoms associated with breast cancer and its treatment. This study identified symptom cluster groups of breast cancer patients based on multidimensional assessment of sleep disturbance and CRF prior to and during chemotherapy.

Methods

Participants were 152 women with stage I–IIIA breast cancer. Data were collected before chemotherapy (T1) and during the final week of the fourth chemotherapy cycle (T2). Latent profile analysis was used to derive groups of patients at each timepoint who scored similarly on percent of the day/night asleep per actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score, and the five subscales of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form. Bivariate logistic regression evaluated if sociodemographic/medical characteristics at T1 were associated with group membership at each timepoint.

Results

Three groups (Fatigued with sleep complaints, Average, Minimal symptoms) were identified at T1, and five groups (Severely fatigued with poor sleep, Emotionally fatigued with average sleep, Physically fatigued with average sleep, Average, Minimal symptoms) at T2. The majority of individuals in a group characterized by more severe symptoms at T1 were also in a more severe symptom group at T2. Sociodemographic/medical variables at T1 were significantly associated with group membership at T1 and T2.

Conclusions

This study identified groups of breast cancer patients with differentially severe sleep disturbance and CRF symptom profiles prior to and during chemotherapy. Identifying groups with different symptom management needs and distinguishing groups by baseline sociodemographic/medical variables can identify patients at risk for greater symptom burden.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Lianqi Liu for his contributions to this study and all patients for their time and participation.

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the National Cancer Institute (grant numbers CA112035 and UL1RR03198), the National Institutes of Health (grant number M01 RR00827), the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Rina S. Fox

    Present address: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Rina S. Fox, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Scott C. Roesch, Kristen J. Wells, Georgia Robins Sadler & Vanessa L. Malcarne

  2. Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Kristen J. Wells, Georgia Robins Sadler & Vanessa L. Malcarne

  3. University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Georgia Robins Sadler & Vanessa L. Malcarne

  4. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Scott C. Roesch, Kristen J. Wells & Vanessa L. Malcarne

  5. California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, USA

    Erin L. Merz

  6. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Sarah D. Mills

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  1. Rina S. Fox
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Correspondence to Vanessa L. Malcarne.

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Conflict of interest

Sonia Ancoli-Israel consults for Merck, Eisai, Purdue, and Pfizer. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review these data if requested.

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Fox, R.S., Ancoli-Israel, S., Roesch, S.C. et al. Sleep disturbance and cancer-related fatigue symptom cluster in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Support Care Cancer 28, 845–855 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04834-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04834-w

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