Cancer-Related Fatigue and Depression Linked to Reduced Recreational Activity in Survivors
Cancer survivors who experience cancer-related fatigue or depression are nearly twice as likely to scale back on recreational activities, with female survivors disproportionately affected compared to males, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting.
The study, led by researchers from NYC Health + Hospitals, found that women were 69% more likely to report cancer-related fatigue and 58% more likely to report depression than men.
Nathan Parker, PhD
“Patient-reported outcomes provide critical insights into the effects of cancer and cancer treatments on quality of life,” said Nathan Parker, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior at Moffitt Cancer Center. “These findings highlight that female cancer survivors face greater burdens from cancer-related fatigue and depression than males, which can help us design interventions and target those most in need.”
Cancer-related fatigue, which affects more than 80% of patients who undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy, differs from typical fatigue because it does not improve with rest and can linger for months or even years. Depression, which impacts about 1 in 4 cancer patients, can further erode survivors’ well-being.
Using data from the 2015–16 and 2017–20 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers looked at responses from 1,555 cancer survivors. They measured the impact of fatigue and depression on survivors’ ability to engage in work-related and recreational activities.
Among all survivors, those who reported cancer-related fatigue were 86% more likely to reduce moderate recreational activities such as brisk walking, leisurely bicycling and light gardening. Survivors who reported feeling depressed were 65% more likely to scale back both moderate and vigorous activities like jogging, hiking and intensive yard work.
However, neither cancer-related fatigue nor depression appeared to significantly impact survivors’ participation in work-related activities.
The study also found gender-specific differences. While women reported higher scores across most depression metrics, men scored higher on measures related to suicidal thoughts, suggesting a possible elevated suicide risk in male survivors.
The study’s authors noted that there are likely many reasons behind the gender disparities. Women may experience stronger side effects from treatments due to slower drug clearance, heightened inflammatory responses and different body compositions that affect how treatments are metabolized. Social expectations and caregiving roles could further exacerbate fatigue and depression among women.
“Though the mechanisms driving higher cancer-related fatigue and depression among female survivors are likely complex and variable across individuals and treatment contexts, understanding they face disproportionate burden can help us focus limited resources in survivorship research and care to maximize impact on quality of life,” Parker added.
