Richardson A, Ream E
Department of Nursing Studies, King's College, London, UK.
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 1996 Jun;5(2 Suppl):24-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2354.1996.tb00248.x.
Fatigue has been recognized as the most frequently reported symptom of cancer and cancer therapy. There is a lack of research on such aspects as the pattern of fatigue which accompanies treatment, its exacerbating and relieving factors, the different mechanisms of fatigue and its relationship with the factors purported to be related to the fatigue experience. It has been suggested that cancer patients may be those best placed to reveal the likely causes of fatigue. As part of a larger study examining the pattern of fatigue in cancer patients who were undergoing a course of chemotherapy treatment, patients' perceptions of fatigue and tiredness and the nature, pattern and causes of fatigue in relation to cancer and its treatment were obtained. In addition to a diary, interviews were conducted at two time points, at the beginning and end of a cycle of chemotherapy, with over 100 cancer patients. Just under 90% of the sample reported fatigue at some point during a cycle of chemotherapy. The majority of the sample did not consider tiredness and fatigue to constitute the same feelings. Subjects attributed their fatigue to a combination of factors but most frequently mentioned treatment, changes in sleep patterns and other symptoms. Implications for practice and research are outlined.
疲劳已被公认为癌症及癌症治疗中最常报告的症状。对于伴随治疗出现的疲劳模式、其加重和缓解因素、疲劳的不同机制以及它与据称与疲劳体验相关的因素之间的关系等方面，缺乏研究。有人认为癌症患者可能是最有条件揭示疲劳可能原因的人群。作为一项更大规模研究的一部分，该研究考察了正在接受化疗疗程的癌症患者的疲劳模式，获取了患者对疲劳和疲倦的认知，以及与癌症及其治疗相关的疲劳的性质、模式和原因。除了日记记录外，在化疗周期开始和结束的两个时间点对100多名癌症患者进行了访谈。近90%的样本在化疗周期的某个时间点报告有疲劳症状。大多数样本不认为疲倦和疲劳是相同的感觉。受试者将他们的疲劳归因于多种因素的综合，但最常提到的是治疗、睡眠模式的改变和其他症状。文中概述了对实践和研究的启示。
