Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Dec 14;32(1):22.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-08204-5.

The feasibility of a multidimensional intervention in lymphoma survivors with chronic fatigue

Skh Bøhn  1 , L M Oldervoll  2   3 , K V Reinertsen  4 , M Seland  5 , A Fosså  4 , C Kiserud  4 , T Skaali  5 , T S Nilsen  6 , R Blomhoff  7   8 , H B Henriksen  7 , H C Lie  9 , T Berge  10 , E Fjerstad  10 , T Wisløff  11 , M Slott  5 , I Zajmovic  5 , L Thorsen  4   8
Affiliations

The feasibility of a multidimensional intervention in lymphoma survivors with chronic fatigue

Skh Bøhn et al. Support Care Cancer. .

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic fatigue (CF) affects 25-30% of lymphoma survivors, but interventions designed to reduce fatigue are lacking. The main aim of this study was to test the feasibility of a multidimensional intervention study in lymphoma survivors with CF. Secondary aims were to describe individual changes in fatigue, quality of life (QoL) and physical performance from pre (T0) to post (T1) intervention.

Methods: This feasibility study was as a one-armed intervention study performed in 2021. Hodgkin or aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors received mailed study information and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire and were asked to respond if they suffered from fatigue. The 12-week intervention included patient education, physical exercise, a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based group program and nutritional counselling. Feasibility data included patient recruitment, completion of assessments, adherence to the intervention and patient-reported experience measures. Participants responded to questionnaires and underwent physical tests at T0 and T1.

Results: Seven lymphoma survivors with CF were included. Of all assessments, 91% and 83% were completed at T0 and T1, respectively. Adherence to the interventional components varied from 69% to 91%. At T1, all participants rated exercise as useful, of whom five rated the CBT-based program and five rated individual nutritional counselling as useful. Five participants reported improved fatigue, QoL and physical performance.

Conclusion: Lymphoma survivors with CF participating in a multidimensional intervention designed to reduce the level of fatigue showed high assessment completion rate and intervention adherence rate. Most of the participants evaluated the program as useful and improved their level of fatigue, QoL and physical performance after the intervention.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04931407. Registered 16. April 2021-Retrospectively registered. https://www.

Clinicaltrials: gov/ct2/show/NCT04931407.

Keywords: Chronic fatigue; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Exercise; Lymphoma survivors; Nutrition; Patient education.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Design of the multidimensional intervention. T0, pre intervention; T1, post intervention. PROMs, patient-reported outcome measures*: the Fatigue Questionnaire and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flow chart
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Individual mental and physical fatigue levels at T0 and T1 (n = 7)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a–f individual scores to EORTC QLQ-C30 global quality of life and functioning scales and at T0 and T1 (n = 7)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
a–c Individual physical test results at T0 and T1 (n = 7)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
a–f Individual dietary intake (g/d) at T0 and T1 (n = 5)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cancer Registry of Norway . Cancer in Norway 2020 - Cancer incidence, mortality, survival and prevalence in Norway. Oslo: Cancer Registry of Norway; 2021.
    1. Seland M, Holte H, Bjoro T, Schreiner T, Bollerslev J, Loge JH, et al. Chronic fatigue is prevalent and associated with hormonal dysfunction in long-term non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors treated with radiotherapy to the head and neck region. Leuk Lymphoma. 2015;56(12):3306–3314. doi: 10.3109/10428194.2015.1036258. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Smeland KB, Loge JH, Aass HCD, Aspelin T, Bersvendsen H, Bolstad N, et al. Chronic fatigue is highly prevalent in survivors of autologous stem cell transplantation and associated with IL-6, neuroticism, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity. Bone Marrow Transp. 2019;54:607–610. doi: 10.1038/s41409-018-0342-y. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Eikeland SA, Smeland KB, Mols F, Fagerli U-M, Bersvendsen HS, Kiserud CE, et al. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy after modern treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma; symptom burden and quality of life. Acta Oncol. 2021;60(7):911–920. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2021.1917776. - DOI - PubMed
    1. van Nimwegen FA, Schaapveld M, Janus CP, Krol AD, Petersen EJ, Raemaekers JM, et al. Cardiovascular disease after Hodgkin lymphoma treatment: 40-year disease risk. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(6):1007–1017. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.1180. - DOI - PubMed

Associated data