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Jun 17, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
Sleep Problems Can Hamper Cancer Treatments
(KDKA)
A cancer diagnosis can keep patients awake at night.
However, in an ironic twist, the lack of sleep can actually throw a wet blanket on cancer treatment.
Now, sleep experts are tackling the problems.
When Shirley Moore was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, doctors said she needed surgery to treat it.
Then, they found out she wasn't strong enough for the procedure.
"One reason was because of the fact that we discovered that my heart was only functioning at a 35 percent rate," said Moore.
"She gave some symptoms of not only having, you know, a low heart function, but also being tired and fatigued during the day," said Dr. Dave Balachandran.
So her cancer doctor referred her to a sleep clinic where a study revealed the underlying problem - sleep apnea.
"I mean I stopped breathing 26 times within an hour," said Moore. "My heart, my heart was under such stress."
Shirley treated the breathing problem, improved her heart function and had the life-saving surgery.
"When we identify a sleep disorder, often times we can treat that sleep disorder and really make an impact on their cancer-related fatigue," said Dr. Balachandran.
Doctor Balachandran is a sleep expert at M.D. Anderson – the first cancer hospital in the country to have a sleep disorders clinic tailored for cancer patients.
"Patients want this -- patients with cancer," said Dr. Balachandran. "Studies have shown that up to 50 to 80 percent of them have sleep-related complaints."
Breathing problems like sleep apnea are common.
So are treatment-related movement disorders like restless leg syndrome.
"When we tell them that it's a side effect of their chemotherapy and there are treatments for this that actually improve them, they're amazed," said Dr. Balachandran. "And they'll come back to you after the therapy and say, I didn't know I could feel this way."
The sleep clinic will also be used to study cancer-related sleep problems.
Researchers hope to understand how sleep impacts cancer and its outcomes and how cancer treatments affect patients' sleep.
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