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Abstract #3445

No Volumetric and Metabolic Differences in the Brain Between Severely Fatigued and Non-Fatigued Disease-Free Cancer Survivors

H. Prinsen1, H. W.M. van Laarhoven1, 2, G. Bleijenberg3, M. J. Zwarts4, M. van der Graaf5, 6, M. Rijpkema7, Arend Heerschap5

1Medical Oncology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands; 2Medical Oncology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; 3Expert Centre for Chronic Fatigue, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands; 4Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands; 5Radiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands; 6Clinical Physics Laboratory, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands; 7Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands


Until now, little is known about (neuro)physiological factors determining postcancer fatigue, which is a frequently occurring problem, impairing quality of life. For non-cancer patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, certain characteristics of brain morphology and metabolism were already identified. We investigated whether these volumetric and metabolic traits are a reflection of fatigue in general and thus also be of importance for postcancer fatigue. However, the studied volumetric and metabolic parameters are not related to postcancer fatigue. This may suggest that, although postcancer fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome show strong resemblances as a clinical syndrome, the underlying physiology is different.