Sleep disorders in cancer patients

Abstract

Sleep disorders in cancer patients, especially insomnia, are the one of the most important factors influencing unfavourably, similarly to pain and weekness, the patients’ quality of life. Proper diagnosis and treatment can help oncologists in their everyday practice. The role of cancer diesease in sleep disorders occurence is complex. The neoplastic disease itself can be the predisposing factor of insomnia - the patients sleep become sensitive, many troubles and organs’ dysfunctions caused by the disease lead to sleeplessness as well as sleep disorders. The changes in life style, inadequate sleeping hours scheme or withdrawal from social life can are the perpetuating factors of insomnia. The reports on sleep disorders in different neoplastic diseases are presented here. In the part concerning treatment of insomnia the nonpharmacological methods are of particular notice because according to recent experience the best results in treatment of insomnia in cancer patients can be achieved using the cognitive-behavioral therapy described in the article.