Fatigue and functional dependence in older cancer patients

Functional dependence is a costly manifestation of aging that compromises the quality of life of elderly individuals and their caregivers. In this study, we hypothesized that fatigue may be a cause of functional dependence in older cancer patients. To establish whether fatigue was associated with dependence in 1 or more activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and declining performance status (PS). In addition, we studied the prevalence of fatigue and its correlation with anemia, depression, and nutritional status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study of 214 patients aged 70 and older were seen over a 3-month period by the Senior Adult Oncology Program of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. Each patient was screened with a questionnaire assessing ADLs, IADLs, PS, cognitive impairment, depression, and malnutrition. In addition, each patient underwent assessment of fatigue with the fatigue symptom inventory and a determination of complete blood counts and complete chemical panel. RESULTS: Fatigue was reported by 81% of the patients. The interference score of fatigue seemed to be a mediator for dependencies in ADLs and IADLs (P < 0.001 and 0.001), and poorer PS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue is a common chronic problem for older cancer patients and may represent a major cause of functional dependence.