Variables associated with fatigue in breast cancer women

Resum

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fatigue, depressive symptomatology, sleep quality and cortisol measurement and identify variables that explain the fatigue in women with breast cancer. Seventeen women with breast cancer were evaluated prior to chemotherapy treatment, they provided 12 samples of saliva during two consecutive days and answered the scales of fatigue (MFI), depression (BDI) and sleep quality (PSQI). The results show that sleep latency explains 41.7% of the reduction of activity and daytime dysfunction explains 48.8% of mental fatigue, which suggests an approach to intervention at this stage of the cancer process.