Fatigue | Cancer.Net

Cancer and cancer treatment may cause fatigue. The medical term for this is "cancer-related fatigue." It is a feeling of physical, emotional, and mental ... SkiptoContent Español Search Menu YouarehereHome>CopingWithCancer>Physical,Emotional,andSocialEffectsofCancer>ManagingPhysicalSideEffects>Fatigue RequestPermissions Fatigue ApprovedbytheCancer.NetEditorialBoard,04/2020 Cancerandcancertreatmentmaycausefatigue.Themedicaltermforthisis"cancer-relatedfatigue."Itisafeelingofphysical,emotional,andmentalexhaustioneventhoughyouaregettingenoughrestandsleep. Cancer-relatedfatiguecanaffectyourdailylife.And,somepeoplemayexperiencethiskindoffatigueformonthsoryearsafterfinishingtreatment. Talkwithyourhealthcareteamifyouareexperiencingfatigue.Shareanyneworchangingsymptomsorsideeffectsonaregularbasis.Managingsymptoms,includingfatigue,isanimportantpartofyouroverallcancercareandtreatment.Thisiscalledpalliativecareorsupportivecare. Howdoescancerfatigueaffectdailylife? Forsomepeople,cancer-relatedfatigueisaminorsideeffect.Forothers,fatiguecanaffecttheirday-to-daylife.Itcanimpact: Moodandemotions Dailyactivities Hobbiesandotheractivities Relationshipswithfriendsandfamily Abilitytocopewithtreatment Jobperformance Hopeforthefuture Howiscancer-relatedfatiguediagnosed? ASCOadvisesdoctorstoscreenforandtreatfatiguewhentheyfirstdiagnosecancer.Itisanimportantpartofcancercare.Inaddition,yourdoctorshouldaskaboutyourleveloffatiguethroughouttreatmentandrecovery. Yourdoctorwillaskaboutyourexperiencesandhistorywithfatiguetobetterunderstandwhatiscausingorworseningyourfatigue.Thesequestionswillhelpyoudescribeyourfatiguetoyourhealthcareteam: Howsevereisthefatigue? Whendidthefatiguebegin? Whendoyoufeelmosttired? Howlongdoesitlast? Hasitchangedovertime? Whatmakesitbetterorworse? Whatcausescancer-relatedfatigueandhowisittreated? Cancer-relatedfatiguehasseveraldifferentcauses: Healthchangesrelatedtocancer.Yourdoctormaytakeabloodsampleorperformothertests.Theseresultsmayshowcancer-relatedcausesoffatigue.Fatiguecanbeasymptomofthecanceritselforthatthecancerisgrowingorspreading. Cancertreatments.Certaincancertreatmentscontributetofatigue.Forexample,peoplecommonlyexperiencefatigueatthesetimes: Afewdaysafterachemotherapytreatment Afewweeksafterstartingradiationtherapy Afewmonthsafterimmunotherapytreatment Pain.Livingwithconstantpainisexhaustingandstressful.And,manypainmedicinescausedrowsinessandfatigue.Askyourhealthcareteamaboutotherwaystomanagepainanditssideeffects. Depression,anxiety,andstress.Managingstressandtreatingdepressionandanxietycanreduceyourfatigue. Sleepingproblems.Stress,pain,andworrymaycontributetoinsomnia.Thismeanshavingtroublefallingasleeporstayingasleep.Inaddition,somemedicinesdisturbnormalsleeppatterns. Poornutrition.Awell-balanceddietmayhelpreducefatigue.Considertalkingwitharegistereddietitian(RD)fornutritioncounseling.Theseprofessionalscanhelpyoufindwaystoeatwell,especiallyifyouhavetasteissues,appetiteloss,ornauseaandvomiting. Anemia.Manypatientswithcancerhaveanemia.Thisisadecreaseintheamountofredbloodcells.Peoplewithanemiamayfeelextremeandoverwhelmingfatigue.Anemiatreatmentmayincludesupplements,drugs,orbloodtransfusions. Othermedical/healthconditions.Peoplewithcancer,especiallythosewhoare65yearsandolder,mayhaveotherhealthconditionsthatcontributetofatigue.Itisimportanttotreatanymedicalconditionsthatarecontributingtoyourfatigue.Yourdoctormayaskquestionsorrecommendadditionalteststofindthesecauses.Othermedicalconditionsmayinclude: Heartproblems Reducedlungandkidneyfunction Hormoneproblems Arthritis Nerveproblems Howiscancer-relatedfatiguemanaged? Lifestylechangesandhelpfromyourcancercareteammayhelpyoucopewithfatigue.Talkregularlywithyourdoctorifyouareexperiencingfatigueduringandafteryourcancertreatment.Askyourhealthcareteamaboutthesestrategies: Physicalactivity.Stayingorbecomingphysicallyactivecanhelprelievefatigue.Askyourdoctorwhichtypesofphysicalactivityandexercisearebestforyouandwhatlevelofactivitycouldhelpyou.Thetypeandlevelofphysicalactivitymaychangeduringandaftercancertreatment. Somepeoplemaybenefitfromworkingwithaphysicaltherapist.Thisisespeciallytrueiftheyhaveahigherriskofinjury.Thismaybeduetocancer,cancertreatment,orotherhealthconditions.Physicaltherapistscanhelppatientsmaintainandimprovestrength,minimizepain,andimprovephysicalfunction. Youmayalsobenefitfromworkingwithapersonaltrainertodevelopapersonalizedexerciseprogram.Researchindicatesthatexerciseisoneofthemosteffectivewaystotreatfatigue. Counseling.Talkingwithacounselormayhelpreducefatigue.Forexample,cognitivebehavioraltherapymayhelpyoudothefollowing: Reframeyourthoughtsaboutfatigue Improvecopingskills Overcomesleepproblemscausingfatigue. Mind-bodystrategies.Evidencesuggeststhatmindfulnesspractices,yoga,andacupuncturecanreducefatigueincancersurvivors.Othermind-bodystrategiesthatmightbehelpful,butthathavenotbeenfullystudiedbyresearchers,include: Touchtherapy,includingreiki Musictherapy Massage Relaxation Qigong,atypeofrelaxationandmeditation Askyourhealthcareteamforreferralstoprofessionalswhospecializeinusingthesemethodsforcancersurvivors. Nutrition.Sometimes,canceranditstreatmentmayaffectyourabilitytomaintainahealthydiet.Considertalkingwitharegistereddietitiantobesureyouaremeetingallyournutritionalneeds. Medicationsandsupplements.Somemedicationshelppeoplefeelmorealertandawake.Theyaremosthelpfulforpeoplewhoarecurrentlyreceivingcancertreatmentandpeoplewhohaveadvancedcancer.Sometreatmentsmayaffectyourhormoneproductionfromyourthyroidglandoradrenalglands.Iftheselevelsarelow,youmaybenefitfrommedicinetoreplacethesehormones.Yourcancercareteammaywanttocheckfornutritionaldeficiencieslikeiron,vitaminB12,orvitaminD.Iftheselevelsarelow,youmaybenefitfromtakingasupplementwiththeguidanceofyourcancercareteam.Researchershavestudiedothersupplementslikeginseng,whichseemtoimprovecancer-relatedfatigue.However,itisimportanttotalkwithyourhealthcareteambeforetakinganydietaryorherbalsupplementstomakesuretheydonotinteractwithyourcancertreatment. Questionstoaskthehealthcareteam Youmaywanttoaskyourcancercareteamthefollowingquestions. Doyouthinkmycancertreatmentwillcausecancer-relatedfatigue?Ifso,when? IfI'mexperiencingfatigue,whatdoyouthinkthereasonis? WillIneedadditionalteststofindoutmoreaboutmyfatigue? Whatcanbedonetohelpmecopewithcancer-relatedfatigue? ShouldItalkwitharegistereddietitian,counselor,physicaltherapist,orotherhealthprovidersaboutwaystohelpmemanagemycancer-relatedfatigue? RelatedResources 8WaystoCopewithCancer-RelatedFatigue Cancer-RelatedFatigue:WhatPeoplewithCancerandTheirLovedOnesShouldKnow ASCOAnswersFactSheet:Cancer-RelatedFatigue(PDF) MoreInformation NationalCancerInstitute:Fatigue Español DownloadASCO'sfreeCancer-RelatedFatiguefactsheet.This1-pageprintablePDFincludesanoverviewofthepossiblecausesoffatigue,treatmentoptions,wordstoknow,andquestionstothehealthcareteam.OrderprintedcopiesofthisfactsheetfromtheASCOStore. f t k e P Moreinthissection Timely.Trusted.Compassionate. Comprehensiveinformationforpeoplewithcancer,families,andcaregivers,fromtheAmericanSocietyofClinicalOncology(ASCO),thevoiceoftheworld'soncologyprofessionals. FindaCancerDoctor