GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — By concentrating on a common, but often
overlooked, symptom of cancer, researchers at Grand Valley State
University and Michigan State University believe a patient's other
symptoms may improve.
Amy Hoffman, faculty member at GVSU’s Kirkhof College of Nursing, with
the support of five researchers from Michigan State University, studied
the prevalence of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among lung cancer
patients and patients with other cancer diagnoses. The research was
funded by the National Institutes of Health, through National Institute
of Nursing Research, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, and
the Walther Cancer Foundation in Indiana.
“We found that the majority of patients reported a great deal of
fatigue,” said Hoffman, assistant professor of Nursing. “Their fatigue
was constantly working against them. Fatigue was one of the most severe
symptoms they reported.”
Their research found that among patients whose CRF was the most
prevalent symptom, patients reported about 6.4 other symptoms such as
nausea, insomnia, weakness, or shortness of breath.
Hoffman said: “Many of these people have other symptoms, but the
cancer-related fatigue impacts the severity of the other symptoms.
Cancer-related fatigue is set apart from most other cancer-related
symptoms. It is a large source of distress for persons with cancer and
not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual daily functioning.”
Hoffman is currently writing another grant proposal for the next steps
of the study. Working with Ruth Ann Brintnall, GVSU assistant professor
of nursing, the research would study how building one’s confidence in
managing fatigue, in addition to adding strategies such as light
exercise, will help not only reduce the fatigue but help with a
patient’s other symptoms and their ability to carry out their daily
activities.
The initial research study was published in several journals, including
Nursing Research and Clinical Oncology Week.
Media can contact Hoffman at [email protected] or (616) 331-5713.
Nursing professor researches cancer-related fatigue
Apr 29, 2009
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