Lived experiences of women reporting fatigue during PARP inhibitor maintenance treatment for advanced ovarian cancer: a qualitative study
Abstract
Objective Oral PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have dramatically changed the treatment landscape for patients with advanced ovarian cancer. However, a subset of patients discontinue PARPi due to treatment-related fatigue. The current study sought to explore patients' lived experiences with fatigue on PARPi.Methods We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with N = 23 women receiving PARPi for advanced ovarian cancer who reported moderate to severe fatigue. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed and we used thematic analysis to code transcripts for emergent themes.Results Four overarching themes emerged. First, participants described their fatigue as milder than what they experienced on intravenous chemotherapy, but noted it consistently limited their daily activities, including work, and interfered with participation in family and social events. Second, fatigue negatively impacted participants' sense of self and identity. Third, most wanted to continue treatment and believed discontinuing PARPi would lead to a cancer recurrence or death. Finally, many participants reported that their support networks were unaware of their ongoing cancer treatment or the resulting fatigue; a situation that may prove isolating and result in reduced social support.Conclusions Our findings underscore patients' persistent experience of fatigue on PARPi, the impact of fatigue on multiple domains of functioning, and a lack of understanding of side effects resulting from oral maintenance treatments among patients' social networks. Our findings highlight the need for interventions to address treatment-related fatigue to limit the negative impacts of fatigue on ovarian cancer patients' well-being.
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In a prior qualitative study of patients on PARPi, participants described their fatigue as distressing and causing physical, emotional, and/or cognitive exhaustion that interfered with daily functioning and eroded their sense of self.
“In our prior qualitative study of patients on PARPi, participants described their fatigue as distressing and causing physical, emotional, and/or cognitive exhaustion that interfered with daily functioning and eroded their sense of self [9].”
From Pilot randomized trial of an acceptance-based telehealth intervention for women with ovarian cancer and PARP inhibitor-related fatigue (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Fatigue led to dose reductions, treatment interruptions, and discontinuation of PARPi.
“Fatigue also led to dose reductions, treatment interruptions, and discontinuation of PARPi [9].”
From Pilot randomized trial of an acceptance-based telehealth intervention for women with ovarian cancer and PARP inhibitor-related fatigue (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Poort, H., Fenton, A. T. H. R., Thompson, E., Dinardo, M. M., Liu, J. F., Arch, J. J., & Wright, A. A.
- Affiliations
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Poort, Hanneke
- Venue
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 160
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 227-233
- ISSN
- 0090-8258 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3099006076
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3
- FWCI
- 0.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Gynecologic Oncology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › PARP inhibition in cancer therapy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
- Keywords
- treatment-related fatigue, PARP inhibitors, advanced ovarian cancer, oral maintenance therapy, patient lived experience, social support, treatment discontinuation, social isolation, quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Ovarian Neoplasms, Quality of Life, Qualitative Research
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