Assessing cancer-related fatigue: Validation of the Korean version of the cancer fatigue scale among cancer survivors

Haneul Lee; Eun Young Park; Kwang-Hi Park

doi:10.1016/j.apjon.2025.100657

Assessing cancer-related fatigue: Validation of the Korean version of the cancer fatigue scale among cancer survivors

Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Jan 20:12:100657. doi: 10.1016/j.apjon.2025.100657. eCollection 2025 Dec.

Authors

Haneul Lee¹, Eun Young Park², Kwang-Hi Park²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Science, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea.
² College of Nursing, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to validate the Korean version of the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS-K) as a reliable tool for assessing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) for cancer survivors.

Methods: A total of 208 cancer survivors who completed active treatment participated in evaluating the reliability, construct validity, and factor structure of the CFS-K through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Correlations with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) scales were analyzed to assess construct validity.

Results: The CFS-K demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.875) and CFA validated a three-factor structure (physical, cognitive, and affective fatigue) with acceptable model fit indices (normed χ² = 2.62, CFI = 0.899, TLI = 0.878, RMSEA = 0.088, SRMR = 0.069). The standardized factor loadings for all items exceeded 0.5. Construct validity was confirmed through strong correlations with FACT-F (r = 0.43-0.73) and significant correlations with EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales. Cancer survivors reported significantly higher fatigue levels across all subscales than controls.

Conclusions: The CFS-K is a reliable and valid tool for assessing multidimensional CRF in cancer survivors.

Keywords: Cancer survivors; Fatigue; Neoplasms; Quality of life; Validation study.