Factors influencing cancer-related fatigue in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radiotherapy: pathway analysis

Background Cancer-related fatigue symptoms persist throughout the radiotherapy period in patients with esophageal cancer and show a continuous worsening trend, which seriously affects the quality of survival of patients. Therefore, monitoring patients’ fatigue status promptly, recognizing highly fatigued patients, and providing physical and psychological support are essential for improving their quality of life. As a positive psychological trait, self-efficacy can influence the level of fatigue in patients undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. However, the pathways by which self-efficacy affects cancer-related fatigue remain unclear. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing cancer-related fatigue in patients undergoing radiation therapy for esophageal cancer and to investigate the role of social support as a mediator between self-efficacy and cancer-related fatigue using the theory of unpleasant symptoms. Methods The study used a descriptive survey approach, and data were collected at a tertiary hospital in Nanjing between October 2022 and May 2023. A total of 225 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radiotherapy completed the Demographic Characteristics Scale, Cancer-Related Fatigue Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, and Social Support Rating Scale. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 (IBM, CHINA) and SPSS PROCESS 3.3 plug-in. Results The cancer-related fatigue score of Chinese patients undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer was 27.27 ± 7.26, which shows a high level of fatigue. Social support partially mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and cancer-related fatigue. Conclusion The findings may help medical personnel identify factors that influence cancer-related fatigue in patients undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer and develop reasonable management strategies.