Subgroups of patients undergoing chemotherapy with distinct cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue profiles

The purpose was to model cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue together to determine subgroups of patients with distinct cognitive fatigue AND evening physical fatigue profiles. Once these profiles were identified, differences among the subgroups in demographic and clinical characteristics, co-occurring symptoms, and quality of life outcomes were evaluated.

Oncology patients (n = 1332) completed self-report measures of cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue, six times over two cycles of chemotherapy. Latent profile analysis, which combined the two symptom scores, was done to identify subgroups of patients with distinct cognitive fatigue AND evening physical fatigue profiles.

Three distinct profiles (i.e., Low [20.5%], Moderate [39.6%], and High [39.6%]) were identified. Compared to the Low class, patients in the High class were younger, female, and more likely to live alone and had a higher comorbidity burden and a lower functional status. In addition, these patients had a higher symptom burden and a poorer quality of life.

Based on clinically meaningful cutoff scores, 80% of the patients in this study had moderate to high levels of both cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue. In addition, these patients experienced high levels of other common symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and pain). These co-occurring symptoms and other modifiable characteristics associated with membership in the Moderate and High classes may be potential targets for individualized symptom management interventions.