Correlations of Cancer-Related Fatigue with Clinicopathological Features and Quality of Life in Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Objective. To explore the correlations of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) with clinicopathological features and quality of life in gastric cancer. Methods. Using a convenient sampling method, 230 patients with gastric cancer admitted to our hospital from March 2020 to July 2022 were collected. They were divided into the fatigue group () and the nonfatigue group () according to the presence/absence of CRF. Relevant data were collected and compared. Results. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in age ratio (, ), T stage ratio (, ), N stage ratio (), PS score (), and the degree of gastric cancer thickening ( vs.  mm, , ). Patients with gastric cancer had the lowest CRF Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score for general activities () and high scores for work activities () and enjoyment of life (). Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between patient emotions and the CRF BFI score (, ). Patients with mild, moderate, and severe CRF showed statistically significant differences in physical functioning ( vs. vs. , , ), role emotional ( vs. vs. , , ), fatigue ( vs. vs. , , ), bodily pain ( vs. vs. , , ), appetite reduction ( vs. vs. , , ), and overall health status and quality of life ( vs. vs. , , ). After chemotherapy, the average CRF BFI scores of the partial remission (PR), disease stability (SD), and disease progression (PD) groups all reduced than those before chemotherapy (all ). At 3 months of follow-up, a comparison of the average CRF BFI scores with those before chemotherapy revealed a decrease in the SD and PR groups and an increase in the PD group. Conclusion. In conclusion, CRF is correlated with age, T stage, and N stage in gastric cancer. The later the T and N stages, the more significant the effect on fatigue. Moreover, CRF can also affect the quality of life in gastric cancer, and the severer the CRF, the poorer the quality of life.