Sleep Disturbance and Related Factors in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Their Family Caregivers Prior to the Initiation of Treatment

Abstract

Sleep disturbance is a common complaint in cancer patients. However, less is known about the parameters of sleep in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and their family caregivers (FCs) when they are about to begin treatment. We investigated the sleep quality in patients with NPC and their FCs before treatment and determined the related factors that predict sleep disturbance in these patients before therapy. A total of 101 patient-FC dyads were recruited. They completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) prior to treatment. No differences were found in sleep disturbance between patients (38.6%) and their FCs (31.7%). Patients reported significantly higher rates of short sleep duration than their FCs (P = 0.011). Logistic regression analyses showed that older patients were more prone to suffer from poor sleep quality before treatment (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01–1.10, P = 0.008), while patients with a higher BMI were less likely to experience sleep disturbance (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.71–0.96, P = 0.012). Sleep disturbance is a significant problem in patients with NPC and their FCs before therapy. Older patients and those with a lower BMI appear to be more inclined to suffer from poor sleep before treatment.

Sleep Quality among Breast and Prostate Cancer Patients: A Comparison between Subjective and Objective Measurements

“…Large numbers of breast and prostate cancer patients experience both physical and psychological side effects, even years after treatment [6][7][8]. Sleep disturbance is one of the major problems in cancer patients, with incidence rates more than 30% [9], which are higher than in the general population [10]. Cancer and cancer treatments are among the contributing factors towards sleep disturbances [11,12].…”

“…and subjective (such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, etc.) [10]. The difference between the two outcomes in a given patient can be defined as that patient's self-awareness.…”

High C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Levels as Risk Factors for Poor Sleep Quality in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Cancer with Radiotherapy

“…The age variable differed from Lai's (2018) study, namely 42.6±10.2, which affected poor sleep quality with an OR of 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.10; p=0.008). [21] The age difference is due to this study's limited number of samples. Variables of mild-moderate depression and mild-moderate anxiety were limited in this study by research conducted by Lai (2018), Lee (2018) and Pössel (2019) that major depression and severe anxiety can affect sleep quality.…”

“…Variables of mild-moderate depression and mild-moderate anxiety were limited in this study by research conducted by Lai (2018), Lee (2018) and Pössel (2019) that major depression and severe anxiety can affect sleep quality. [21,27,28] This study performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess independent risk factors for poor sleep quality. The results of multivariate analysis showed that the independent factor influencing poor sleep quality in nasopharyngeal cancer patients with radiotherapy was CRP OR 9.061 (95% CI = 0.25-0.459; p = 0.003).…”

Impact of age on the circadian visual system and the sleep-wake cycle in mus musculus

“…Age is important in disease development and progression 1 , 2 , as well as response and tolerance to oncologic treatment 3 . Aged individuals are predisposed to develop negative behavioral outcomes, such as disrupted sleep, when exposed to stressors 4 , 5 . With age, there are progressive and distinct alterations in the expression of sleep patterns with negative effects seen within the homeostatic and circadian systems, which drive sleep behavior 6 , 7 .…”