Fatigue in long-term non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.

239 Background: Fatigue is a common and distressing effect of cancer and its treatment, potentially affecting quality of life (QOL) for years after treatment. However, the prevalence and persistence of fatigue among long-term survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remains unknown. We aimed to identify demographic, clinical, and psychosocial risk factors for persistent fatigue in this population. Methods: In 2010, surveys were mailed to 682 NHL survivors who participated in a study 5 years earlier; respondents were, on average, 10.4 years post diagnosis. Standardized measures of QOL, symptoms, medical history, and demographic variables were reported at both time points. We defined significant fatigue conservatively as 0.5 standard deviations below the SF-36 scale’s cutoff for fatigue, and we defined persistent fatigue as significant fatigue at both time points. Chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression were used to determine risk factors and predictors for persistent fatigue. Results: 30.8% (n = 172) and 33.0% (n = 186) of patients reported significant fatigue at time point 1 and 2, respectively; 20% of patients had persistent fatigue. Patients with persistent fatigue were more likely to report: female gender, income < $30,000, less than college education, less exercise, active disease, chemotherapy, at least one recurrence of their disease, less social support, an average of 3.8 more comorbidities, and significantly more posttraumatic stress than those without persistent fatigue (all p < .05). Logistic regression showed that education less than college, more comorbidities, less exercise, and more posttraumatic stress were independent predictors of persistent fatigue (all p < .05). Conclusions: Fatigue plagues one-third of NHL survivors and persists in one-fifth of this population even years after diagnosis. These findings could inform clinical practice in NHL survivorship and highlight targets for intervention.

Duke Scholars

Author Thomas William LeBlanc Medicine, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy

Author Sophia Kustas Smith School of Nursing