Gene expression analysis of cancer-related fatigue in whole blood from breast cancer survivors

Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most frequent complaints among breast cancer survivors, with a major negative impact on general life. However, the etiology behind this syndrome is still unraveled. Gene expression analysis was performed on whole blood samples from breast cancer survivors classified as either fatigued or non-fatigued at two consecutive time points. The analysis identified several gene sets concerning plasma and B cell pathways as different between the fatigue and non-fatigue groups, suggesting that a deregulation in these pathways might underlie the fatigue syndrome. The fatigue group also showed a higher mean level of leucocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophiles compared with the non-fatigue group, thus further implicating the immune system in the biology behind the fatigue syndrome.

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Landmark-Høyvik H, Reinertsen KV, Loge JH, Fosså SD, Børresen-Dale AL, Dumeaux V