Fatigue
Posted 1/5/2012
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Fatigue is a major issue for many women, and at least a minor one for virtually all of us. Whether it is a larger problem during treatment or recovery is variable. When it is treatment-related, there are big differences among women as to whether it is worse during chemotherapy or during radiation. Most would agree that the feeling is different when related to those two treatments. Chemotherapy fatigue is often the "can barely get our of bed" or "don't want to get off the couch" variety and is often paired with headaches or GI stuff or other side effect symptoms. Radiation related fatigue is sometimes described as feeling as though a switch gets pulled at some point during the day: you are going about your business, feeling pretty well, and all of a sudden you hit a very big wall.
This is an article from the European Journal of Cancer Care. I give you the start and then a link:
Fatigue in female breast cancer patients: might its origins be more generic than we think?
N. DE JONG, phd, rn, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein, MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
One of the most prominent symptoms of illness, whether
physical or psychological is fatigue. It is often the first
indication that something is wrong with the body. Of
course everyone experiences fatigue on a daily basis, but
for people with cancer, this becomes an enduring and
highly unpleasant sensation which is no longer alleviated
by a good night's rest. Cancer fatigue may affect individuals
suddenly and without warning. It also lasts longer, is
more exhausting, and is often more intense than any other
form of tiredness. It occurs in approximately 80% of
patients treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy
(National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2011) and has
been defined as 'a distressing, persistent, subjective sense
of physical, emotional and/or cognitive tiredness or
exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is
not proportional to recent activity and interferes with
usual functioning' (National Comprehensive Cancer
Network 2011 accessed 21/09/11). Fatigue is a complex
concept since it is both multicausal and multidimensional,
the specific mechanisms underlying its onset
remaining largely unknown. It is often associated with
pain, distress, anaemia and sleep disturbance however,
although it is unclear whether it is these which cause the
fatigue or vice versa. In any event, fatigue is now recognised
as an important component of several complex
symptom clusters within oncology, and it is both unhelpful
and unwise to view it in isolation from these other
important symptoms which commonly affect the daily
lives of women (and men) being treated for or recovering
from cancer.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2354.2011.01296.x/full
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