Cancer patients' poor sleep linked to more pain

Sleep problems are common in cancer patients and are associated with significantly increased fatigue, pain, and depressed mood. To evaluate the relation among several symptoms that occur commonly in cancer patients - trouble sleeping, fatigue/sleepiness, depressed mood, and pain, researchers from Chicago assessed 11,445 cancer patients. The demographic and clinical history of the patients was taken into account. The participants were also asked about the treatments they were receiving and whether these treatments were helping them or not and to what extent were they satisfied with their treatment. More than half the patients reported trouble sleeping. About a quarter of them had moderate or severe trouble sleeping; this group was significantly younger and reported significantly more fatigue, pain, and depressed mood compared to those without trouble sleeping. The effect of depressed mood on fatigue and physical pain was mediated by trouble sleeping, and the effect of trouble sleeping on fatigue was mediated by physical pain.The researchers noted fatigue as a critically important symptom in cancer patients and the above findings suggest that effective treatment of depressed mood, trouble sleeping, and pain will improve fatigue. Further studies aimed at optimising treatment of depressed mood in cancer patients, with trouble sleeping, pain, and fatigue as outcome measures, are expected in future.