Электронный научный журнал

Over the past few years, significant advances have been made in the treatment of oncology, but still insufficient attention is paid to such problems of cancer patients as chronic insomnia, fatigue, socio-cognitive changes and accumulated distress.Partly, sleep disorders (hypersomnia, insomnia, nightmares, obstructive sleep apnea) in these patients are underestimated (both the patients themselves and their relatives, as well as doctors). Between 30 and 60% of cancer patients experience symptoms of insomnia during cancer treatment. Insomnia tends to persist over time (from 29 to 64% of patients) in the absence of appropriate treatment. 40-45% of patients undergoing chemotherapy experience changes in sleep patterns, nightmares, and nighttime panic attacks. A high incidence of chronic insomnia is noted in lung cancer (73%), breast cancer (up to 80%), and genitourinary tract (54%).When assessing subjective sleep complaints, women with breast cancer tend to have the highest rate of overall sleep complaints — more than 80% during chemotherapy. However, it is interesting to note that lung cancer patients showed higher rates of objective sleep disturbance compared to breast cancer patients. There is an abuse of sleeping pills among cancer patients, which varies depending on the location of the tumor: from 15-20% among patients with prostate, colon or gastrointestinal cancer to 20-30% among patients with breast cancer and 40% among patients with lung cancer.If insomnia, hypersomnia, and nightmares are not eliminated in time, they can lead to serious consequences, including a higher risk of subsequent depression, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, a decrease in quality of life, and an increase in the number of health consultations and the risk of infections.