The Community Focus Channel is supported with funding from Johnson & Johnson (Gold).
VJHemOnc is an independent medical education platform. Supporters, including channel supporters, have no influence over the production of content. The levels of sponsorship listed are reflective of the amount of funding given to support the channel.
EHA 2026 | Sleep disturbances following a hematological malignancy diagnosis: findings from a patient survey
Esther Oliva, MD, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK, discusses findings from a survey on the prevalence of sleep disturbances among patients with hematological malignancies, noting that almost 60% reported worsened sleep after diagnosis. Dr Oliva highlights that sleep problems are a significant aspect of patient wellbeing, often connected to anxiety, fatigue, and psychological distress, and emphasizes the importance of routine assessment of sleep in hematology care. This interview took place at the 31st Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Stockholm, Sweden.
These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.
Transcript
So sleep problems were very common in our survey. In an international cohort of patients with hematological malignancies, almost 60% reported that their sleep had worsened after the diagnosis. And among those who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 80% had poor global sleep quality at the time of the survey. What is really important is that this was not only difficulty sleeping, patients reported sleep fragmentation, difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, early morning awakening, significant daytime sleepiness...
So sleep problems were very common in our survey. In an international cohort of patients with hematological malignancies, almost 60% reported that their sleep had worsened after the diagnosis. And among those who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 80% had poor global sleep quality at the time of the survey. What is really important is that this was not only difficulty sleeping, patients reported sleep fragmentation, difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, early morning awakening, significant daytime sleepiness. So sleep disturbance also appeared very early, within the first week after diagnosis, and many patients already reported mild to moderate or significant sleep impairment.
The key message is that sleep is not a minor supportive care issue. It is part of the disease experience. It is connected with anxiety, fatigue, pain, night sweats, treatment effects, and psychological distress. Yet it is often not discussed systematically in clinic. So these findings suggest that sleep should be routinely assessed in hematology care, just like we assess fatigue, infection risk, or treatment toxicity. Patients may not volunteer sleep problems unless we ask directly.
This transcript is AI-generated. While we strive for accuracy, please verify this copy with the video.
Read more...
