The relationships between FACT-Fatigue (FACT-F) scores and physical function (PF) in patients (pts) with chemotherapy-induced anemia treated with darbepoetin alfa (DA)

8062 Background: Anemia-related fatigue in pts undergoing chemotherapy has been shown to decrease health-related quality of life and possibly impair PF. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the relationships between treatment with darbepoetin alfa (DA; Aranesp®), FACT-F, and self-reported PF. Methods: Eligible pts were ≥ 18 yrs, anemic (hemoglobin ≤ 11.0 g/dL) with nonmyeloid malignancies in this open-label study of DA 3.0 mcg/kg every 2 weeks (n=1558). Pts completed the FACT-F and 5 PF questions (climbing several flights of stairs, climbing 1 flight of stairs, walking > 1 mile, walking several blocks, walking 1 block) at baseline (BL), week 9, and week 17. PF was categorized as 0–3, not limited; 4–6, somewhat limited; and 7–10, very limited. FACT-F scores range from 0 - 52 with higher scores indicating less fatigue. Results: Results for all 5 PF questions showed similar trends as shown for the question about climbing stairs (table). Across all 3 time periods, the majority (66–88%) of the patien...