Objectives: To characterize physical function in patients with lymphoma compared to normative cohort and, to investigate the relationships among symptoms, physical function and quality of life in patients with lymphoma. Design: Case series correlational study. Setting: Outpatient lymphoma service in a major cancer teaching hospital. Participants: Sixty-four patients with lymphoma. Main Outcome Measures: A physical performance task battery in which the time taken to complete the task or the distance walked or reached was measured. The tasks included: 50 foot fast walk, 6-minute walk, forward reach, repeated sit to stand, repeated reach-up, timed belt tie, sock test, and coin test. Patients also completed a battery of self-report questionnaires that assessed pain, fatigue, function, and quality of life. Results: Patients with lymphoma performed all physical performance tasks at a level lower than 95% of healthy individuals, with a relatively greater difference in those tasks that were more physically demanding. Patients reported high levels of fatigue and moderate interference with functional activities. Conclusion:
There is a leveling effect of lymphoma across gender on most tasks. The significant relations between physical performance tasks and fatigue are suggestive of the pervasive influence of fatigue on physical function. (FJPT 2009;34(2):71-80)