The relationship between fatigue, quality of life, and performance status among cancer patients with anemia

<h2>Abstract</h2><h3>Background</h3> Cancer-related fatigue is defined as "a distressing, persistent, subjective sense of physical, emotional, and cognitive tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual functioning". It is distinct from regular tiredness and is a pervasive and disruptive symptom for many patients, impacting daily life and work. <h3>Objectives</h3> This paper aims to assess fatigue and performance status experienced by cancer patients with anemia, and to determine the correlation between fatigue, quality of life, and performance status at a selected tertiary care hospital in Udupi district, Karnataka. <h3>Methods</h3> This study, conducted from April 2, 2022, to December 25, 2022, represents a descriptive correlational investigation involving 231 cancer patients experiencing anemia. The participants, aged 21–82 years, were selected using a purposive sampling technique and recruited from a designated tertiary care hospital in the Udupi district of Karnataka. <h3>Results</h3> The mean fatigue score was 23.93 ± 5.39 whereas the mean Health-related Quality of life and anemia symptoms scores were 62.09 ± 14.19, and 4.28 ± 3.05 respectively. The main variables' linear correlations were evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation. A very strong negative relationship was noted between fatigue and performance status, i.e., (<i>r</i> = −0.796, p = 0.01), a moderate negative relationship existed between anemia symptoms and performance status (<i>r</i> = −0.297, p = 0.01), a strong positive relationship was observed between quality-of-life domains and performance status (<i>r</i> = 0.685, p = 0.01). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Anaemia causes low-performance status and fatigue among cancer patients. As a result, fatigue lowers quality of life, particularly in terms of physical and mental health. Medical facilities should implement a self-management education program to diagnose and treat fatigue, which is associated with anaemia, low performance status, and a reduction in cancer patients' quality of life.