The Assessment of Cancer-Related Fatigue Syndrome in Patients with Lung Cancer during Palliative Chemotherapy

Introduction: Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common problems of patients with lung cancer. The assessment of cancer-related fatigue is therefore a significant medical problem in patients during treatment with palliative chemotherapy. Material and methods: The study included 100 patients during palliative chemotherapy because of lung cancer. The study was conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Treatment of Lung Cancer in the Kuyavian and Pomeranian Centre of Pulmonology in Bydgoszcz, in the period from February to June 2016. The study used a socio-demographic questionnaire and Cancer Related Fatigue scale (CRF) consisting of 22 closed questions. Results: Men accounted for 68% of the study group, people with vocational education—61%, and people living in the city—61%. People aged 51–65 formed the largest group. The mean value for behavioural fatigue was 5.34 points, the sensory one—5.44 points, cognitive/mood fatigue—4.29 points (moderate levels), whereas mean value for affective fatigue was at a serious level—5.89 points. The average severity of general fatigue was 5.2 points (moderate level of fatigue). Conclusions: The moderate level of cancer-related fatigue occurs in half of patients treated with chemotherapy because of lung cancer, and lasts for several months. Behavioural, sensory, cognitive/mood and general fatigue have moderate levels but affective fatigue has a severe level. Radiation therapy affects the severity of cognitive/mood fatigue, lowers economic status, influences behavioural fatigue and education level, and has an effect on general fatigue. In multivariate analysis, only the reduction of economic status has a significant impact on the severity of fatigue.