Cancer Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors: in Correlation to Demographic Factors.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is one of the most frequent symptoms in cancer patients. However, its exact causes are still unknown, and this circumstance makes it complicated to encounter the problem. OBJECTIVE: The current research was carried out to investigate factors associated with fatigue in cancer patients without other diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research was conducted in 2013. A group of 150 randomly selected breast cancer patients who had successful surgical treatment and attending in oncology ward to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. They completed the Cancer Fatigue Scale; medical information was obtained through patient recorded files and demographic questions obtained by self-reported data. Then, univariate analysis between the CFS scores and the investigated factors was used to assess the potential fatigue associated factors; related factors (P<0.05) were retained. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 47.9 (SD=11.4), ranging from 25 to 72 years old. Among demographic factors, age (0.30, p= 0.006) and employment status (0.35, p=0.009) were correlated with physical aspects, whereas marital status (-4.0, p=0.001) and educational status (-0.59, p=0.005) were correlated with affective and cognitive aspects of fatigue scores, respectively. Among factors concerned with cancer and treatment such as disease stage, number of days since surgery, past intravenous chemotherapy, radiotherapy was not correlated with any aspects of fatigue. In this section, only the types of surgery (3.01, p=0.06) were correlated to the affective aspect of fatigue. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that fatigue in this population is determined by demographic factors rather than by cancer itself and prior cancer treatments, and that the modifying demographic situation, such as work time and supporting group arrangement as a self-help group as a social support for unmarried patients who live alone, might be essential clues in reducing fatigue in this population.

Effects of supportive-expressive discussion groups on loneliness, hope and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: a randomized control trial.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the effect of supportive expressive discussion groups on loneliness, hope and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A randomized control trial including breast cancer patients who had completed chemotherapy and randomly allocated into two groups: intervention (n = 41) and control (n = 40). The intervention consisted of twelve weekly 90-min sessions for groups of six to eight breast cancer survivors. Data were obtained pre-to -post the intervention and at 8-week follow-up. The data were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The findings revealed a significant reduction in loneliness scores (F = 69.85, p < 0.001), promotion in total hope (F = 20.8, p < 0.05) and enhancement in quality of life from pre- to post-intervention, and then over the 8-week follow-up period in the intervention group, while scores of control participants did not show this pattern during the study. The strongest effects were found for global quality of life (effect size) = 0.59), for future perspectives (effect size = 0.51), emotional functioning (effect size = 0.35) and social functioning (effect size = 0.31). CONCLUSION: The intervention was effective on loneliness, hope and quality of life in the intervention group. The intervention needs further evaluation in a larger study and with other cancer types. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fatigue, Sleep Quality, and Disability in Relation to Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) is impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) in part due to physical disability. MS-associated fatigue and poor sleep are common and treatable features of MS that affect QOL. We assessed the association between fatigue, sleep quality, and QOL in people with MS. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 217 patients with MS. Health-related QOL (MS Quality of Life-54), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory [PSQI]) were assessed. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were also provided by a qualified neurologist. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of the 217 patients was 32.6 ± 8.6 years, and 79% were female. One hundred fifty-two patients (70.0%) were classified as poor sleepers based on PSQI scores; 122 (56.2%) had significant fatigue based on FSS results. The mean ± SE physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health composite scores of the MSQOL-54 were 40.12 ± 1.27 and 43.81 ± 1.61, respectively. There was a strong statistically significant positive correlation between PCS scores and MCS (r = 0.58), FSS (r = 0.49), and PSQI (r = 0.52) scores. MCS scores were strongly correlated with FSS (r = 0.53) and PSQI (r = 0.35) scores. Age exhibited statistically significant negative correlations with PCS (r = -0.21) and MCS (r = -0.58) scores, and was statistically significantly correlated with FSS (r = 0.23) and PSQI (r = 0.21) scores. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were strongly correlated with FSS scores. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support screening of fatigue severity and sleep quality and their effects on QOL.

Health promoting behavior and influencing factors in Iranian breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among the internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy, social support, and health-promoting behavior in Iranian breast cancer survivors and to determine influential variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A predictive design was adopted. By convenient sampling the data of 262 breast cancer survivors in Iran were collected by questionnaires during 2014. Data were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy, social support and undergoing chemotherapy all correlated significantly with the health-promoting lifestyle. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that social internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy and social support and chemotherapy accounted for about 39.8% of the variance in health promoting lifestyle. The strongest influence was social support, followed by self efficacy, perceived health status, chemotherapy and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study clarifed the seriousness of social support, self efficacy, perceived health status and depression in determining the health-promoting lifestyle among Iranian breast cancer survivors. Health professionals should concentrate on these variables in designing plans to promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Serum Level of Some Minerals during Three Trimesters of Pregnancy in Iranian Women and Their Newborns: A Longitudinal Study.

Concentrations of various trace elements are altered during pregnancy with changes in the mother's physiology and the requirements of growing fetus. The aim of the present longitudinal study was to learn the changes of micronutrients Iron (Fe), Calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn) Magnesium (Mg) and copper (Cu) of pregnant woman and their relations with newborns levels. Serum levels of iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and copper of 162 pregnant women and their newborns were determined by an inductively couple plasma mass spectrometer (ICP/MS). The results showed that majority (41 %) of pregnant women were in age group 26-36 years 55 % had high school and diploma levels of education and the total income ranged between 3 and 5 Rials million per month There was significant difference in iron levels during first, second and third trimesters, 76.0 ± 17.8, 63.5 ± 15.2 and 70.1 ± 14.4 µg/dl respectively. Significant difference was shown in zinc levels 79.5 ± 15, 74.5 ± 16.1, and 65.3 ± 14.9 µg/dl during three trimesters. Copper levels during pregnancy were significantly different (130.9 ± 43.5, 172.0 ± 38.94, 193.2 ± 28.5 µg/dl. The serum levels of calcium and magnesium during pregnancy were constant (Ca: 8.96 ± 0.48, 8.86 ± 0.47, 8.91 ± 0.42 mg/dl and Mg: 2.10 ± 0.21, 2.08 ± 0.28, 2.09 ± 0.29 mg/dl). Results showed that 13 % of pregnant women had hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia. Thirty eight percent and 42 % of pregnant women had iron and zinc deficiency respectively. In this study, unlike zinc, no pregnant women were found deficient in serum copper levels. Calcium, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium levels in the newborn's cord blood were 8.93 ± 0.43, 106.0 ± 26.1, 85.35 ± 16.6, 57.04 ± 13.8 and 1.99 ± 0.27 mg/dl respectively. In the present study the levels of iron and zinc in cord blood were higher than the levels of iron and zinc in maternal serum. The mean level of copper in cord blood serum in the current study was lower than maternal values. The mean serum calcium and magnesium in the serum cord blood and in the serum of the pregnant women were similar.