Sleep disturbance in cancer patients

Sleep disruption is a major problem for cancer patients, but no big study has been conducted to determine the incidence andform of sleep disturbance in cancer patients. This cross-sectional survey looked at (a) the prevalence of reported sleep issues inpatients attending six clinics at a regional cancer centre; (b) the prevalence of sleep problems in connection to cancer therapy;and (c) the form of reported insomnia (type, duration, and associated factors). All patients visiting clinics for breast, gastric,genitourinary, gynecologic, lung, and non-melanoma skin malignancies were given a brief sleep questionnaire for three months.The response rate was 87 percent, with a total sample size of 982. The average age of responders was 64.9 years (SD 12.5).Excessive tiredness (44 percent of patients), leg restlessness (41%), sleeplessness (31%), and excessive drowsiness were themost common issues (28 percent ). Chi square tests revealed considerable heterogeneity in the incidence of most sleep issuesbetween clinics.