Abstract
Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with cancer and in disease-free survivors.
It has a significant impact on the quality of life. Although subjective fatigue is
often related to objective changes in physical functioning or impaired performance
status, the two phenomena are not synonymous and need to be distinguished. A number
of robust and reliable assessment instruments to measure fatigue severity are now
available and criteria for cancer-related fatigue syndrome have been proposed. The
underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of cancer-related fatigue are unclear. Management
strategies include the use of psycho-educational interventions, exercise programmes
and pharmacological treatments. The best evidence for the effectiveness of drug treatments
is for the haematopoietic agents in anaemic patients undergoing chemotherapy and for
methylphenidate in an on-treatment population.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 01, 2008
Accepted:
February 25,
2008
Received:
January 11,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
