Volume 27, Issue 4 e12856
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cancer survivors exhibit a different relationship between muscle strength and health-related quality of life/fatigue compared to healthy subjects

S. Morishita PhD

Corresponding Author

S. Morishita PhD

Physical Therapist, Associate Professor

Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan

Correspondence

Shinichiro Morishita, Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.

Email: [email protected]

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A. Tsubaki PhD

A. Tsubaki PhD

Physical Therapist, Associate Professor

Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan

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J.B. Fu MD

J.B. Fu MD

Associate Professor

Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

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Y. Mitobe BSc

Y. Mitobe BSc

Registerd Nurse, Assistant Professor

Department of Nursing, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan

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H. Onishi PhD

H. Onishi PhD

Physical Therapist, Professor

Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan

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T. Tsuji PhD, MD

T. Tsuji PhD, MD

Associate Professor

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

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First published: 16 May 2018
Citations: 19

Funding information

This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Niigata University of Health and Welfare as well as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center support grant CA 016672.

Abstract

We investigated the difference in relationship between muscle strength and quality of life (QOL)/fatigue in long-term cancer survivors and healthy subjects. Thirty-six cancer survivors and 29 healthy subjects were assessed for body composition and bone status at the calcaneus using the Osteo Sono Assessment Index. Muscle strength was evaluated via handgrip and knee extensor strength. Health-related QOL was assessed using the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Fatigue was measured using the brief fatigue inventory. Cancer survivors exhibited lower QOL scores in the physical functioning, physical role function, bodily pain and general health domains (p < .05). Grip and knee extension muscle strength in cancer survivors was positively correlated with the physical function and bodily pain of QOL (p < .05). The usual fatigue subscale score was only significantly higher in cancer survivors than in healthy subjects (p < .05). However, there were no correlations between muscle strength and fatigue in cancer survivors. Our results showed that muscle strength was an important factor for improving QOL in cancer survivors. We believe that the findings of this study will be relevant in the context of planning rehabilitation for cancer survivors.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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