Patient Descriptors Of Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study Of Cancer Survivors

This is a mixed methods cross-sectional pilot study. The target population is adults ≥ 18 years of age who have been diagnosed with cancer, have completed anti-cancer treatment more than six months ago, have no current detectable evidence of cancer, and are experiencing cancer-related fatigue. Participation in this research will involve completion of a six-minute walk test, survey completion, two virtual video interviews, and potentially one additional virtual interview. The interviews will include two 45 minutes for survivors and one 30-minute interview for clinicians. An additional 30-minute interview will be conducted for each survivor and clinician group.

Inclusion criteria

• Ability to comply with study procedures for the duration of the study

Survivors:

• Written informed consent and HIPAA authorization for release of personal information
• Ability to read/write, understand and converse in English without the need for an interpreter
• Men and women aged ≥ 18 years at the time of consent
• History of at least one visit for the purpose of monitoring long term care post curative treatment at LCH and/or the Charlotte or Winston-Salem campuses of AHWFBCCC
• Completed curative treatment > 6 months ago for any cancer type, with no detectable evidence of cancer
• Self-reported tiredness, exhaustion, or weakness (i.e. fatigue) score of ≥ 4 on the Numerical Rating Scale
• Adjuvant endocrine therapy to reduce the risk of cancer returning is acceptable (i.e. tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors).

Clinicians:

• Currently see oncology patients (any cancer type) for survivorship care at LCH and/or the Charlotte or Winston-Salem campuses of AHWFBCCC

Exclusion criteria

Survivors:

• Continuing maintenance therapy or other cancer-related treatment (i.e. immunotherapy)
• History of or current untreated Major Depressive Disorders or untreated severe depression
• Hemoglobin <11g/dL at last CBC SOC lab collection
• History/diagnosis of dementia
• Factors or conditions, for which participation may (1) not be in the best interest or (2) interfere with study assessment results (e.g. medical comorbidities, primary brain tumor/metastases)
• No access to internet/Wi-Fi

Clinicians:

• None