HEALTH: Survivors of Lung Cancer Suffers Fatigue, Poor Quality of Life

Survivors of Lung Cancer Suffers Fatigue, Poor Quality of Life

A new study has revealed lung cancer survivors face significant hardships due to chronic fatigue.

Lung cancer patients face a low quality of life even after being treated successfully, as a result of chronic fatigue that significantly worsens one’s physical and psychological ability, the research team led by professors Yun Young-ho and Jeong Joo-young discovered after surveying 830 lung cancer survivors between 2001 and 2006.

The survival rates for lung cancer are significantly lower than for other cancers, but the new study from the research team at SNU shows that fatigue is one of the major factors behind the poor quality of life typical among survivors of lung cancer.

Nearly 7 in 10 lung cancer survivors suffer from fatigue, according to the study, and those who are afflicted with chronic fatigue suffer both physically and psychologically.

Patients who suffer from anxiety saw their quality of life further worsen.

“To help lung cancer survivors get back into the swing of things and lead a healthy life, treatment and education programs that can effectively tackle fatigue symptoms need to be introduced,” Yun said.

Findings from the study have been published in the latest edition of the academic journal Psycho-Oncology. koreabizwire