A comparative study of the fatigue in cancer-related fatigue with the fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome

摘要

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is prevalent and distressing symptoms in patients with cancer, yet its causes and characteristics remain unclear. This study aimed to compare CRF with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and to better understand the characteristics of CRF. Methods: Patients with CRF and persistently fatigued subjects without medical cause were examined. Subjects completed questionnaires on fatigue, mood, sleep and quality of life and provided a blood sample for high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation. Objective sleep assessment was conducted with a wrist actigraph for 3 days, and neurocognitive tests were also performed.