Positive within-person associations seen between general fatigue and TNF-\u03b1, sTNF-RII, IL-6; and between physical fatigue and TNF-\u03b1, sTNF-RII, CRP<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For women with early-stage breast cancer, higher levels of protein markers of inflammation are associated with distinct dimensions of fatigue, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in Cancer<\/em>.<\/p>\n Julienne E. Bower, Ph.D., from the University of California-Los Angeles, and colleagues examined biologic mechanisms of fatigue in 192 women recently diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Participants completed assessments before and after adjuvant therapy and at six-, 12-, and 18-month posttreatment follow-up. Women completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory at each assessment and provided blood for evaluating protein markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor [TNF] alpha [TNF\u2010\u03b1], soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type II [sTNF\u2010RII], interleukin 6 [IL\u20106], and C\u2010reactive protein [CRP]).<\/p>\n The researchers found that when controlling for age, race, education, body mass index, and cancer stage, there was a positive within-person association between general fatigue and TNF-\u03b1, sTNF-RII, and IL-6 (b<\/em> = 1.67, 2.77, and 0.86, respectively). In addition, there was a positive within-person association between physical fatigue and TNF-\u03b1, sTNF-RII, and CRP (b<\/em> = 1.58, 2.38, and 0.43, respectively). Negative within-person associations were seen between emotional fatigue and TNF-\u03b1 and sTNF-RII (b<\/em> = \u22121.92 and \u22122.10, respectively). At the between-person level, general and physical fatigue were positively associated with CRP (b<\/em> = 0.82 and 0.71 for general and physical fatigue, respectively). There were no significant associations noted between mental fatigue and inflammatory markers.<\/p>\n “Our findings indicate that inflammation plays a role in some aspects of cancer-related fatigue, but not others, and that these effects persist well after treatment,” Bower said in a statement.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.<\/p>\n