Oncological fatigue in cancer patients of different levels of physical activity

Abstract

The objective was to correlate Oncologic Fatigue Syndrome (OFS) in cancer patients with different levels of physical fitness. Descriptive correlative study, using the stratified randomization technique, which evaluated 99 patients (GF=54 [50.7±7.5 years] and GM=45 [53.7±5.0]) with breast cancer or prostate cancer. To assess: physical activity (Baecke Questionnaire); OFS (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue Scale -FACT-F); body composition (anthropometric measurements); cardiorespiratory endurance (6-minute walk test on a treadmill); musculoskeletal endurance (Abdominal (Abd), Elbow Flexion (ElbFlex), Sit-Stand (SitStand)); musculoskeletal strength (dynamometry - Upper limbs (UpLim), Lower limbs (LowLim); Trunk (Trun)); flexibility (goniometry - Shoulder Abduction (ShoAbd), Shoulder Extension (ShoExt), Shoulder Flexion (ShoFlex), Internal Rotation (IntRot), External Rotation (ExtRot); Knee Flexion (KneFlex); Trunk Flexion (TrunFlex); Hip Abduction (HipAbd)). Comparison between sexes revealed a significant difference in: waist-hip ratio (∆%=-7.37%, p=0.001); Fat Percentage (∆%=-33.96%, p=0.046); UpLim (∆%=380.83%, p=0.001); LowLim (∆%=456.83%, p=0.001); Trun (∆%=547.59%, p=0.001); ExtRot (∆%=-9.07%, p=0.001); HipAbd (∆%=-5.3%, p=0.003); Sport Index (∆%=67.68%, p=0.02); Leisure Index (∆%=37.13%, p=0.003); Physical Activity Index (∆%=25.5%, p=0.003). There was a correlation between SFO and Fat Percentage (r=0.00; p=0.003); Abd (r=0.00; p=0.018); ElbFlex (r=0.00; p=0.027); SitLif (r=0.00; p=0.030); UpLim (r=0.00; p=0.015); LowLim (r=0.00; p=0.013); Trun (r=0.00; p=0.047); ShoAbd (r=0.00; p=0.019); TrunFlex (r=0.00; p=0.001); KneFlex (p=0.033). It is concluded that the application of physical exercise as an adjuvant, non-pharmacological treatment can improve physical fitness, attenuating the harmful effects on health caused by cancer fatigue syndrome, improving quality of life.