Correlation between Fatigue Severity and Physical Performance among Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Physiotherapy
Keywords:
Ca-Breast, Palliative Physiotherapy, Fatigue.Abstract
Background- : Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most prevalent and distressing symptoms experienced by patients undergoing cancer treatment, particularly those in palliative care. Globally, up to 80–90% of advanced cancer patients report significant fatigue, with profound effects on their functional capacity, mobility, and independence. Nationally, India faces a growing cancer burden with limited access to specialized palliative rehabilitation services, compounding the effects of fatigue on daily living.
Objectives -1.To assess fatigue severity using a validated fatigue scale.2.To assess physical performance using functional mobility and endurance tests.3.To analyze the correlation between fatigue and physical performance scores.
Method- In pre–post interventional (quasi-experimental) studyTotal 100 Subjects undergone surgery for breast cancer & now on chemotherapy was recruited. All received palliative physiotherapy intervention for 6 weeks.
Result -30 second sit to stand & the cancer fatigue scores has negative correlation (r = –0.11) which was statistically not significant (p = 0.6751)
Conclusion – Palliative physiotherapy significantly improved functional performance and reduced multidimensional cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients receiving palliative care. However, it was not significant correlation was observed between fatigue scores and functional performance, suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms.
