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Better Night’s Rest Might Improve Outcome

By Renee Twombly

Helping cancer patients sleep may seem like a minor issue, but physicians understand that therapy often promotes loss of sleep and that patients with sleep disorders are less likely to tolerate treatment regimens.

“Studies say that between 50% to 80% of cancer patients complain about difficulty sleeping, so we need to understand the relationship between sleep and cancer and how we can improve a patient’s quality of life and care,” says Diwakar Balachandran, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at M. D. Anderson.

Prescribing a good night’s sleep

For instance, a patient recently came to the clinic with a common story to tell, and Balachandran was there to listen and lend a hand. This breast cancer survivor, one year past treatment, was drowsy all day and depressed, and she suffered from lack of energy. Balachandran suggested she sleep overnight in a special M. D. Anderson laboratory and found she had severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Balachandran prescribed a device to help her get a good night’s rest, and within two weeks the patient discontinued medications for depression and made plans to return to work.

• 28 or 76% still have difficulty sleeping
• 6 or 16% had difficulty in the beginning but no longer
• Only 3 or 8% experienced no difficulty with sleeping