Tendencies in the association between fatigue and quality of life in terminally ill patients with cancer admitted to a palliative care unit

Background Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing symptom in terminally ill patients with cancer. While many studies have been conducted on the relationship between fatigue and quality of life (QOL) among patients undergoing treatment, only a few have been conducted to measure fatigue from multiple perspectives or clarify its impact on patients in advanced stages or those receiving palliative care. Objectives To examine the impact of fatigue on QOL in terminally ill patients with cancer, using a questionnaire that measures CRF from 3 perspectives. Methods CRF and QOL were measured using the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative (EORTCQLQ-C15-PAL), respectively, and the correlation between them was evaluated. Web-based questionnaires were completed by patients receiving hospice and palliative care. Significance of results Twenty-nine participants provided valid responses. Median CFS and global health status/QOL scores were as follows: total fatigue 25.0, physical fatigue 11.0, affective fatigue 9.0, cognitive fatigue 5.0, and global health status/QOL 50.0. QOL showed significant correlations with total fatigue ( rs = −0.44, p = 0.017, 95% CI: −0.70, −0.09) and physical fatigue ( rs = −0.38, p = 0.038, 95% CI: −0.66, −0.02), but none with affective fatigue ( rs = −0.02, p = 0.917, 95% CI: −0.38, 0.35) and cognitive fatigue ( rs = −0.33, p = 0.074, 95% CI: −0.63, 0.03). Conclusions Of the 3 aspects of fatigue, physical fatigue may be most closely related to QOL; however, its accurate assessment may depend on the scale used. Therefore, it is necessary to select an appropriate scale for patients with terminal cancer.