The relationship between fatigue and light exposure during chemotherapy

Lianqi Liu

Matthew Marler

Barbara Parker

Vicky Jones

Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA

UCSD Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center, San Diego, CA, USA

Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Yakima Regional Cancer Care Center, Yakima, WA, USA

San Diego State University/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA

Department of Surgery, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Department of Psychiatry 116A, VASDHS, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA

e-mail: ude.dscu@learsiilocnas, Tel.: +1-858-6423828, Fax: +1-858-5527536

Abstract

Background

Fatigue is one of the most common and distressing complaints among cancer patients, not only during radiation and chemotherapy, but also for months to years after the completion of treatment. Fatigue interferes with patients’ daily lives, reduces their quality of life, and is often a significant reason why patients discontinue treatment. We hypothesized that some of the fatigue may be related to disrupted circadian rhythms and low light exposure. The main objective of this study therefore was to investigate the association between fatigue and light exposure among patients with breast cancer.

Methods

As part of a larger, ongoing prospective study on fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms in patients with breast cancer, an analysis of 63 women newly diagnosed with stage I–IIIA breast cancer and scheduled to receive four cycles of adjuvant or neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy was conducted. Data were collected before and during weeks 1, 2, and 3 of cycle 1 and cycle 4. Fatigue was assessed using the Short Form of Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory. Light exposure was recorded with a wrist actigraph.

Results

There were significant correlations between fatigue levels and light exposure (r=−0.28 to −0.45) within both cycle 1 and cycle 4, such that higher levels of fatigue were associated with less light exposure. There were also significant correlations between changes in light exposure and changes in fatigue within the first 2 weeks of each cycle (r=−0.28 to −0.52).

Conclusions

Increased fatigue was significantly correlated with decreased light exposure among patients with breast cancer. Although the cause and effect of exacerbated fatigue and decreased light exposure cannot be confirmed by the current study, and lower light exposure may just in part be due to the fatigued patients spending less time outdoors in bright light, two hypotheses are proposed about the mechanisms by which light may alleviate the fatigue of patients with breast cancer. These results suggest the need for prospective intervention studies of light therapy for breast-cancer-related fatigue.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Fatigue, Light, Chemotherapy

Abstract

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