A prospective study of cancer-related fatigue in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer.

110 Background: To investigate potential risk factors for cancer-related fatigue in women with breast cancer undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy (RT), we assessed the contribution of chemotherapy (CTX), RT-induced epidermal thickening, and inflammatory mediators to post RT fatigue. Methods: Following lumpectomy, 30 women received whole breast RT (50 Gy plus a 10 Gy boost). Prior to RT, at week 6 of RT, and 6 weeks post RT, subjects completed a validated questionnaire assessing fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory [MFI-20]). At the above visits, patients underwent blood sampling for inflammatory mediators. In addition, breast epidermal thickness was measured using ultrasound tissue characterization. Results: Fatigue scores in the sample as a whole did not increase during RT. Independent multivariate analyses of clinical and demographic factors revealed that prior CTX (p<.001) and age <50 (p=.03) were significant predictors of higher post RT fatigue scores. Before, during, and after RT, CTX-treated ...