Effect of sex on psychological distress and fatigue over time in a prospective cohort of cancer survivors
Menée en Italie à partir de données portant sur 305 patients ayant survécu à un cancer (durée médiane de suivi : 15,8 mois), cette étude de cohorte prospective analyse la fréquence et la sévérité d'une fatigue et d'une détresse psychologique en fonction du sexe
Background : Studies indicate a higher level of distress in women than men with cancer, but whether this difference is retained over time is unknown. We studied the frequency and level of distress and fatigue during time according to gender in a cohort of cancer survivors. Patients and methods : In this prospective study, cancer survivors were invited to undergo a psychological session immediately before the medical visit. Distress was assessed by the distress thermometer, and fatigue was assessed by the ESAS-r scale. Patients underwent follow-up visits to assess changes over time. Results : A total of 305 patients and 568 visits were performed with a median follow-up of 15.8 months. At baseline, females, young age, and breast cancer patients had significantly higher distress. However, there was an increase in distress of 0.29 points every 6 months in males (95% CI, 0.09–0.50) versus no change in females (0.03 points, 95% CI, − 0.09–0.15; p-interaction = 0.01). The different behavior of cancer distress during time according to gender was more evident in subjects aged 68 or older due to increasing physical problems in men (p-interaction = 0.005). There was no change in fatigue with time according to sex. Conclusions : Women, younger age, and breast cancer patients had increased cancer distress at the initial visit. However, women tend to stabilize during follow-up, whereas men tend to worsen their distress, especially because of physical and emotional problems, suggesting different coping capabilities.