Research has demonstrated that cancer patients often experience increases in levels of fatigue and emotional distress and decreases in physical function during treatment.  However, there has been little study comparing symptoms between breast cancer patients and prostate cancer patients during their common cancer treatments.  The purpose of this study was to compare pre- to post-treatment changes in levels of fatigue, emotional distress, and physical function in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.The Levine Conservation Model guided the study.  The four conservation principles describe side effects of treatment as challenges to adaptation and lead individuals to respond by conserving energy and preserving integrity.

Breast cancer patients entering adjuvant chemotherapy and prostate cancer patients scheduled for radiation therapy were assessed before and after cancer treatment programs. Thirty-nine breast cancer patients and 54 prostate cancer patients have been enrolled.   T-tests and ANCOVA were used to compare changes within groups and between groups, respectively.  Before treatment, there were no differences in fatigue, emotional distress, and physical function between the two groups.  After cancer treatment, breast cancer patients had higher fatigue scores, more emotional distress, and lower physical function compared to prostate cancer patients (p=<0.01 for all).  Breast cancer patients experienced pre- to post-treatment increases in fatigue (p=<0.01), increases in emotional distress (p=0.03), and decreases in physical function (p=<0.01).  There were no significant changes in any of the three symptoms in prostate cancer patients.
Results suggest that differences in symptoms during cancer treatment may be related to type of cancer, type of treatment, or gender-specific issues.  Further research should explore these differences.  Nurses can provide better symptom assessment and management during cancer treatment if they understand expected side effects of treatment for different cancer populations.