Efficacy of Darbepoetin Alfa in Alleviating Fatigue and the Effect of Fatigue on Quality of Life in Anemic Patients with Lymphoproliferative Malignancies

Anemia-related fatigue in cancer patients reduces health-related quality of life (HRQOL). These analyses evaluate the effect of hemoglobin level on fatigue and examine the relationship between improved fatigue and HRQOL. Data were collected during a multicenter, randomized trial involving 344 anemic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pain and symptom management 2006-04, Vol.31 (4), p.317-325
Main Authors: Littlewood, Timothy J., Kallich, Joel D., San Miguel, Jesus, Hendricks, Lisa, Hedenus, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
anemia
Anemia - blood
Anemia - complications
Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies
Biological and medical sciences
Darbepoetin alfa
Diseases of red blood cells
Erythropoietin - analogs & derivatives
Erythropoietin - therapeutic use
fatigue
Fatigue - blood
Fatigue - drug therapy
Fatigue - etiology
Female
Health Status
Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases
Hemoglobins - metabolism
Humans
Leukemia, Lymphoid - blood
Leukemia, Lymphoid - complications
Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis
Lymphoma - blood
Lymphoma - complications
lymphoproliferative malignancies
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Quality of Life
Treatment Outcome
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Anemia-related fatigue in cancer patients reduces health-related quality of life (HRQOL). These analyses evaluate the effect of hemoglobin level on fatigue and examine the relationship between improved fatigue and HRQOL. Data were collected during a multicenter, randomized trial involving 344 anemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies receiving chemotherapy and darbepoetin alfa or placebo. At baseline, interim study visits, and end of treatment, patients completed an HRQOL questionnaire. Improved hemoglobin levels were significantly associated ( P < 0.001) with improved fatigue. Mean change in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) Fatigue score was 5.9 points greater when hemoglobin improved >2 g/dl than when it declined. Patients experiencing a clinically meaningful improvement in fatigue reported significantly ( P < 0.001) greater improvements in all other scales, except the FACT Social subscale. Managing anemia-related fatigue appears to have a positive impact on HRQOL, enhancing cancer patients' activity levels, mood, and perceived overall health.
ISSN:0885-3924
1873-6513
DOI:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2005.08.013