Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39044052›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2026

Prevalence and determinants of sleep problems in cancer survivors compared to a normative population: a PROFILES registry study.

Charles David, Sandra Beijer, Floortje Mols, Simone Oerlemans, Olga Husson, Matty P Weijenberg, Nicole Pm Ezendam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Charles DavidDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands, Comprehensive Cancer Organisation , Godebaldkwartier 419, 3511 DT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Sandra BeijerDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands, Comprehensive Cancer Organisation , Godebaldkwartier 419, 3511 DT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Floortje MolsDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands, Comprehensive Cancer Organisation , Godebaldkwartier 419, 3511 DT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Simone OerlemansDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands, Comprehensive Cancer Organisation , Godebaldkwartier 419, 3511 DT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Olga HussonDivision of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Matty P WeijenbergDepartment of Epidemiology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Nicole Pm EzendamDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands, Comprehensive Cancer Organisation , Godebaldkwartier 419, 3511 DT, Utrecht, the Netherlands. n.ezendam@iknl.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo (1) identify the prevalence of sleep problems in cancer survivors across cancer types and survivorship durations compared to a normative population and (2) determine demographic, clinical, lifestyle, and psychosocial determinants.

methodCancer survivors diagnosed between 2008 and 2015 (N = 6736) and an age- and sex-matched normative cohort (n = 415) completed the single sleep item of the EORTC QLQ-C30: Have you had trouble sleeping? Participants who responded with "quite a bit"/ "very much" were categorized as poor sleepers. A hierarchical multinomial logistic regression was used to identify determinants of sleep problems.

resultThe prevalence of sleep problems was higher in cancer survivors (17%) compared to the normative population (11%) (p < 0.001), varied across cancer types (10-26%) and did not vary based on survivorship duration. The full model showed that survivors who were female (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.26), overweight (AOR 1.50), had one (AOR 1.25) and ≥ 2 comorbidities (AOR 2.15), were former (AOR 1.30) and current (AOR 1.53) smokers and former alcohol drinkers (AOR 1.73), had a higher level of fatigue (AOR 1.05), anxiety (AOR 1.14), depression (AOR 1.11), and cognitive illness perceptions (AOR 1.02), had a higher odds for sleep problems. Higher education compared to lower education (AOR 0.67), having a partner (AOR 0.69), and obesity compared to normal BMI (AOR 0.86) were protective to sleep problems as well as high physical activity before adjusting for psychological factors (AOR 0.91).

conclusionModifiable determinants of sleep problems include physical activity, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and illness perception. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Sleep problems after cancer deserve clinical attention. They may be improved by addressing modifiable lifestyle factors: increasing physical activity, stop smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. As fatigue, depression, and illness perception seem related to sleep problems, lifestyle improvements may also improve these outcomes.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsNeoplasmsSleep Wake DisordersAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceQuality of LifeRegistriesCancer survivorsDeterminants of sleep qualityPrevalenceSleep quality

Identifiers

PMID39044052
PMCPMC12906518

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.