Sleep disorders in lung cancer patients

SUMMARYSleep Disorders in Lung Cancer PatientsAim: To evaluate the sleeping activity of the lung cancer patients and find out theproblems aassociated with sleep and their frequency.Method: The patients with the diagnosis of lung cancer who had a Karnofsky scoreover 60, did not have a serious dyspnea or pain, did not have a neurological, psychiatric,respiratory disease or cranial metastasis were included in this study. 87 patients were includedin the survey, which was first part of the study; and 29 were included in the second part,which contains polisomnography.Information about demography and lung cancer, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, DokuzEylül University Faculty of Medicine Sleeping Center sleep disorders survey and Hospital?sAnxiety-Depression Scala were used as collecting data forms. The patients that accepted tohave polisomnography were hospitalized in Sleeping Center for one night to have theirsleeping records.Findings: Age, anxiety, depression and fatigue were found highly related with sleepdisorders. In 26.4% of the patients, there was a problem at falling asleep and going onsleeping, in 35.6%, a problem of waking up early in the morning and not to be able to getasleep again, in 52.9%, a problem at napping at noon; also 52.9% had fatigue. The complaintof sleeplessness was determined in 54.9% and the number of the average sleepless nights was2.6.The patients analysed with polisomnography, had an average total sleeping period as327.6 minutes, and 112.1 min. as wakefulness time during sleeping period, 18.2 min. as thetime up to fall asleep, 18.1 as the number of awakeninigs during the night and the percentageof the sleep efficiency was %74.4. The periods of the phases of NREM were found in normalvalues. In the 65.5% of the patients, AHI was ≥ 5. One patient was diagnosed as severe OSASand the frequency of Restless Leg Syndrome was found to be 6.8% in the patients.Conclusion : In the lung cancer patients; sleeplessness, napping in the day and fatigueare seen frequently. The togetherness of lung cancer and OSAS was found to be higher thanexpected. In cancer patients, primary sleep disorders should also be kept in mind besides thesecondary reasons. The possible etiology has to be investigated and in the certain patients,advanced research has to be done by polisomnography.