One-Third of Cancer Patients Experience Chronic Fatigue After Treatment

Cancer patients suffer fatigue as their body experiences the physical stress of cancer treatment. Looking at survivors like Lance Armstrong, many expect to regain energy lost during their treatment. However nearly 33 percent of survivors continue to battle fatigue months and sometimes years after therapy ends.

Survivor fatigue is loosely defined as a persistent lack of energy or exhaustion related to cancer treatment that affects daily activities.

Post-treatment fatigue has become a growing problem among survivors because less than half report their symptoms to their primary care physician.

Patients will often report their symptoms to oncologists more than their general physician because they believe that the doctor will overlook their fatigue as "part of the process." Further compounding the issue is that oncologists and primary care physicians don’t often communicate about fatigue and some patients feel lost when they return to primary care.

Fatigue can be symptomatic of a number of medical conditions including anemia, cardiac and pulmonary problems. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network developed a set of clinical practice guidelines to help general physicians recognize symptoms of fatigue as a response to the growing problem.

If you or a relative are experiencing chronic fatigue following cancer treatment, you should contact your doctor in order to rule out a major condition.

Fatigue not related to a medical condition can be reduced using some of the following methods:

Develop an exercise plan that takes into account periods of high and low energy

Assign priorities and delegate tasks for days of high and low energy

Optimize sleep by limiting long afternoon naps, see if you have sleep apnea, avoid caffeine in the evening

Yoga and other relaxation techniques have been shown to reduce fatigue

Massage has also been shown to reduce fatigue

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