Longitudinal Associations Between Inflammation and Multi-Dimensional Fatigue up to 2 Years After Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Abstract

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a prevalent symptom among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. While inflammation is a proposed underlying mechanism, longitudinal evidence including pre-treatment assessments remains scarce. Within the population-based PROCORE study, newly diagnosed CRC patients provided blood samples and completed questionnaires at diagnosis (n = 411; 60.6% male; age = 67.0 years), 12- (n = 304), and 24-month follow-up (n = 252). Eleven inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-22, sTNFRI, and sTNFRII) were assayed; CRF was measured with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Hybrid linear mixed models disentangled between- and within-subject associations, controlling for sociodemographic (e.g., age), clinical (e.g., cancer treatment), and lifestyle covariates (e.g., BMI), sleep quality, and pain. A normative age- and sex matched sample (n = 204; 52.5% male; age = 64.3 years) was included for comparison. Soluble TNF receptors (sTNFRI/II) were most robustly and positively associated with nearly all fatigue dimensions. CRP was positively associated with mental and physical fatigue; IL-8 positively associated with multiple domains including reduced motivation; and IFN-γ positively associated with general fatigue and reduced activity. Lower IL-1α was associated with more mental fatigue. Between-subject effects mirrored overall results; within-subject effects were more selective. Associations were most consistently observed for mental fatigue. In controls, less associations were significant; CRP was the most robust marker and positively associated with general fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation. CRC survivors exhibited a broader, mostly TNF-α driven inflammatory signature of fatigue than controls. Findings highlight inflammation as a potential target underlying CRF, informing survivorship care strategies.