Reviewer’s report
Title: 
SOCIAL SUPPORT IN EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS
WITH FATIGUE
Version: 
1 
Date: 
28 Jan 2020
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript needs to be edited to clearly define the concepts of interest. 
It
appears the instrument measures four areas of provision of social support.
Definitions of the various areas of social support was not included until the
discussion so it was hard to follow the introduction. 
In the introduction it was stated that a similar study was conducted in Norway on
social support. 
How is this study different or how does this study fit with the
literature? 
Is this study a more robust examination? 
It was difficult to determine
what this study added, and it was over-reaching that this was the first study to
examine social support and fatigue. 
A more robust search of the literature is
warranted. 
The analysis and reported results were correlational. 
A different analysis that
would provide more robust and more interesting results would be using multiple
regression or other analytic methods to show how social support and specific
demographic factors might predict fatigue. 
Findings could of been explored to
determine what might be a profile of a women with breast cancer more likely to
experience high fatigue. 
Since all women in your sample had fatigue, 
it would be
interesting to see the profiles of those had that highest fatigue over time. 
How
are they different than women who have fatigue but not at the highest levels. 
If
you could determine that, then your discussion would work better and you could
then discuss nursing implications.
Good luck with revising the manuscript.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
No
Does the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the
authors.
Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
No
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you
recommend an additional statistical review?
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects
require further assessment in your comments to the editors.
I am able to assess the statistics
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited
Declaration of competing interests
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