Common Causes
Credit: National Cancer Institute. Fatigue is a common side effect of many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplant, and surgery. Conditions such as anemia, as well as pain, medications, and emotions, can also cause or worsen fatigue.
Related Conditions
Fatigue often occurs when the energy requirements of the body exceed the supply of energy sources. [ 37, 38] In people with cancer, three major mechanisms may be involved: 1 Alteration in the body’s ability to process nutrients efficiently. 2 Increase in the body’s energy requirements. 3 Decrease in intake of energy sources.
Is fatigue a side effect of cancer treatment?
Fatigue may be increased when it is hard for patients to learn and remember. During and after cancer treatment, patients may find they cannot pay attention for very long and have a hard time thinking, remembering, and understanding. This is called attention fatigue. Sleep helps to relieve attention fatigue,...
What is the pathophysiology of fat fatigue in cancer?
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the chest may hurt the lungs. Cancer survivors who received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy may have a higher risk of lung damage. People who have had lung disease and older adults may have more lung problems. Endocrine system problems. Some types of cancer treatments may affect the endocrine system.
What causes attention fatigue in cancer patients?
What are the side effects of cancer treatment?
How long does fatigue last after cancer treatment?
Cancer fatigue usually lasts from 3-4 weeks after treatment stops, but can continue for up to 2-3 months.
Why is fatigue a side effect of chemotherapy?
Cancer treatments, specifically chemotherapy, can decrease the number of red blood cells, causing anemia. Red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout the body, so when tissues don't get enough oxygen, you can feel fatigue.
Is fatigue after cancer treatment normal?
Fatigue may last for some weeks or months after a treatment cycle ends. Energy levels usually improve over time. While fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, it can also be a symptom of depression. For more information on depression, visit Beyond Blue and talk to your health care team.
What causes fatigue in cancer patients?
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen to and from organs and tissues throughout the body, providing energy and removing waste from cells. Cancer may cause a reduction in the production of red blood cells, resulting in anemia, which causes fatigue.
Does fatigue from chemo get worse with each treatment?
Between 30%–60% of people with cancer will experience fatigue during treatment, and treatment can worsen preexisting fatigue. For certain individuals, this side effect can last for a long time.
How do I deal with chemo fatigue?
8 Ways to Cope With Cancer-Related FatigueGet treated for medical conditions or causes that make fatigue worse. Tell your doctor if you're experiencing fatigue. ... Get moving. ... Take time to relax. ... Eat well. ... Practice good sleep habits. ... Engage in mind-body strategies. ... Consider therapy and counseling. ... Get a massage.
What is post cancer fatigue?
Cancer-related fatigue can last months or years after cancer diagnosis and treatment. People experiencing CRF describe it as feeling tired, weak, slow, and having no energy. With no means to relieve their symptoms, people with CRF report feeling depressed and helpless.
How long does it take for fatigue to go away?
Fatigue is very common after viral infections, such as COVID and normally it settles after 2 or 3 weeks. However, in some people it can linger for weeks or months.
How long does it take to get energy back after chemo?
Your energy levels should return to normal within 6 months to a year after the end of chemotherapy. It can take even longer if you have intensive treatment, such as bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
What cancers cause extreme fatigue?
Likewise in cancers related to the stomach, intestine cancers usually cause tiredness because of blood loss. Cancers of the prostate and breast interfere with metabolic and hormonal processes causing extreme tiredness in the patient.
Can chemotherapy cause long term fatigue?
Fatigue is the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and immunotherapy can cause fatigue.
When should you worry about fatigue?
Call for an appointment with your doctor if your fatigue has persisted for two or more weeks despite making an effort to rest, reduce stress, choose a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids.
When to Contact Your Doctor
Some fatigue during cancer treatment is to be expected. But if you find that cancer fatigue is persistent, lasting weeks, and interferes with your...
Coping Strategies: Medical Treatments and Self-Care
Because cancer-related fatigue may be caused by many factors, your doctor may suggest more than one method to reduce and cope with your symptoms. T...
Speak Up About Your Fatigue
Don't assume the fatigue you're experiencing is just part of the cancer experience. If it's frustrating you or affecting your ability to go about y...
What does fatigue mean in cancer?
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Fatigue, usually described as feeling tired, weak or exhausted, affects most people during cancer treatment. Cancer fatigue can result from the side effects of treatment or the cancer itself.
How long does cancer fatigue last?
Your cancer fatigue may occur episodically and last just a short while, or it may last for several months after you complete treatment.
How to help with fatigue?
Improving your ability to sleep can help relieve fatigue. Sometimes medication can be effective in helping you sleep. Adequate pain management can go a long way in decreasing fatigue, but certain pain medications can make fatigue worse, so work with your doctor to achieve the appropriate balance.
How to reduce fatigue from depression?
Medications that stimulate your bone marrow to produce more red blood cells might be another option. If you're depressed, your doctor might suggest medications that can help reduce the depression, increase appetite and improve your sense of well-being. Improving your ability to sleep can help relieve fatigue.
How to get rid of fatigue from a syringe?
Exercise regularly as you start treatment. You'll get in the routine of exercising, and it may even help you prevent fatigue during treatment.
What causes fatigue in the body?
Cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy may all cause fatigue.
Why is it so hard to eat when you have cancer?
Poor nutrition. In order to work efficiently, your body needs the energy that a healthy diet provides. When you have cancer, your body may need more nutrients than usual. But it can be hard to take in enough nutrients if treatment side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, make it difficult to eat. Medications.
What happens if you have cancer fatigue?
If you suffer from cancer fatigue, you may need to take leave from a job or stop working completely. Job loss can lead to money problems and the loss of health insurance. All these things can lessen your quality of life and self-esteem.
Why do people with cancer feel fatigued?
Fatigue in people with cancer may be caused by the following: Cancer treatment. Receiving more than one type of treatment (for example, both chemotherapy and radiation therapy ). Anemia (a lower than normal number of red blood cells ). Hormone levels that are too low or too high.
How does cancer fatigue feel?
Cancer fatigue is different from fatigue that healthy people feel. When a healthy person is tired from day-to-day activities, their fatigue can be relieved with sleep and rest. Cancer fatigue is different. People with cancer get tired after less activity than people who do not have cancer.
How long does it take for fatigue to go down after chemo?
Fatigue decreases after chemotherapy is finished, but patients may not feel back to normal until a month or more after the last treatment.
What are the side effects of cancer?
Fatigue is the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and immunotherapy can cause fatigue. Fatigue is also a common symptom of some types of cancer. People with cancer describe fatigue as feeling tired, weak, worn-out, heavy, slow, ...
How long does cancer fatigue last?
Fatigue usually decreases after cancer treatment ends, but some people may still feel fatigue for months or years.
How does cancer affect your life?
Cancer fatigue can affect all areas of your life by making you too tired to take part in daily activities, relationships, social events, and community activities. You might miss work or school, spend less time with family and friends, or spend more time sleeping.
How does fatigue affect cancer patients?
Approximately 75% of patients undergoing cancer therapy suffer from fatigue, with anemia being a common cause. Sixty-one percent of patients believe that fatigue affects their ability to work and recent research indicates that fatigue plays a very important role in the cancer patient’s overall quality of life (QOL). Furthermore, research suggests that fatigue, as well as pain and sleep disturbances, affect cancer treatment outcomes. (1-4)
What is cancer fatigue?
It can be mild, causing a person to have less energy to do the things he or she wants to do; or it can be severe, affecting many areas of a person’s life and resulting in the inability to do basic activities.
How to reduce fatigue during chemotherapy?
Exercise reduces fatigue and improves strength, physical functioning, and emotional well-being in men and women undergoing chemotherapy, according to the results of a study published in the British Medical Journal. A varied exercise program that includes high- and low-intensity components is safe and feasible for patients undergoing chemotherapy and could reduce fatigue.
Why do people feel fatigued after cancer treatment?
Few studies of people undergoing cancer treatment have addressed the issue of fatigue as a result of the emotional distress associated with undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for cancer and the effects of medical and surgical procedures used for that evaluation and for initial treatment.
What is the association of fatigue with cancer treatment?
Cancer Treatment. The association of fatigue with the major cancer treatment modalities of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, endocrine therapy, and biologic response modifier therapy caused speculation that fatigue resulted from tissue damage or accumulation of the products of cell death.
What is CRF in cancer?
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a cancer-related or cancer treatment–related, distressing, persistent, subjective sense of physical, emotional, and/or cognitive tiredness or exhaustion that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual functioning. [ 1] Fatigue is the most common side effect of cancer treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplantation, or selected biologic response modifiers. [ 2] The specific mechanisms underlying a common pathophysiology for CRF are unknown. Cancer treatment–related fatigue is a commonly reported symptom, with 80% of patients reporting fatigue while receiving treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. [ 3] Cancer treatment–related fatigue generally improves after therapy is completed, but some level of fatigue may persist for months or years after treatment, and for a subset of patients, fatigue may be a significant issue long into survivorship. [ 4, 5] Fatigue is also seen as a presenting symptom in cancers that cause complications such as anemia, endocrine dysfunction, neuromuscular complications, psychological distress, and end-organ dysfunction (e.g., renal, pulmonary, or cardiac dysfunction). Fatigue is common in people with advanced cancer who are not undergoing active cancer treatment. Cancer treatment–related fatigue has been reported in 39% to more than 90% of patients undergoing cancer treatment [ 6 - 10] and in 19% to 82% of patients posttreatment. [ 3, 11]
What is fatigue in biotherapy?
Fatigue is a dose-limiting toxicity of treatment with a variety of biotherapeutic agents. Biotherapy exposes patients with cancer to exogenous and endogenous cytokines. [ 21] . Biotherapy-related fatigue usually occurs as part of a constellation of symptoms called flulike syndrome.
How does yoga help with cancer?
Yoga is an ancient system of practices used to balance the mind and body through exercise, meditation (focusing thoughts), and control of breathing and emotions. Yoga has been shown to improve fatigue in cancer survivors in several pilot and larger randomized controlled trials (NCCN category 1 intervention). [ 63]
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Lack of energy . Weakness. Studies of women with breast cancer have attempted to define specific fatigue trajectories. For example, some patients may experience a high degree of fatigue during treatment and recover, while others may suffer from very low levels of fatigue throughout treatment.
What are the causes of chronic fatigue?
Numerous factors related to the moods, beliefs, attitudes, and reactions to stressors of people with cancer can also contribute to the development of chronic fatigue. Anxiety and depression are the most common comorbid psychiatric disorders of CRF. [ 41] .
What are the long term effects of cancer?
Long-term cancer survivors need ongoing education about living healthy lifestyles with a focus on wellness. Weight gain is a common side effect of many cancer treatments, and it increases risk of recurrence, leads to the development of other comorbidities (eg, hypertension, hyperlipidemia), and even increases the risk of death.
How long does fatigue last after breast cancer treatment?
Studies suggest that the prevalence of fatigue in breast cancer survivors may be as high as 30%, [2] and that fatigue levels are higher in cancer survivors than in healthy controls, [3] even as long as 5 years after treatment.
What are the effects of fatigue on survivorship?
Fatigue that lingers long into survivorship affects quality of life, mood, and work productivity. [4,5] A patient’s fatigue level at time of diagnosis may increase risk for fatigue problems after completion of treatment. Factors that contribute to severe fatigue in survivors include low levels of physical activity, depressed mood, ...
What are the factors that contribute to fatigue?
Factors that contribute to severe fatigue in survivors include low levels of physical activity, depressed mood, impaired sleep and rest , and feelings of fatigue for as long as 1 year prior to diagnosis. [6] . Some physiologic factors may also influence fatigue after completion of treatment.
What is the role of a nutritionist in a patient?
Referral to a nutritionist may be appropriate for the patient who has not been aware of his or her nutritional intake, or needs more directed care and instruction in preparing and eating healthy, low-fat diets. Psychological interventions should be recommended to survivors to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Is fatigue a side effect of cancer?
Cancer-related fatigue is a common side effect during cancer treatment, and research demonstrates that it is a troubling, lingering side effect for many long-term survivors. Long-term cancer survivor fatigue is under-reported, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. [1] . Studies suggest that the prevalence of fatigue in breast cancer survivors may be as ...
Does sleep help with cancer?
Fatigue is a frustrating side effect in cancer survivors, because intuitively one thinks symptoms should improve with more rest, but that is not the case. Sleeping too much actually contributes to feelings of fatigue, and resting more to avoid fatigue actually increases declines in functional ability.
What are the side effects of cancer treatment?
What are the most common side effects of cancer treatments? Some of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatment include pain and fatigue, anemia, mouth problems, nausea/weight change/dietary issues, and hair, skin and nail problems. Pain.
What is cancer side effect?
Any problem that affects your healthy tissue and organs and arises as a result of cancer treatment is called a cancer treatment side effect. Side effects can vary from person to person and from treatment to treatment, to the extent that two people receiving the same treatment may experience very different side effects.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
Anemia develops when there aren’t sufficient red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. This can cause dizziness, weakness, faintness and racing of the heart.
How long does it take for a cancer patient to regrowth after radiation?
Regrowth can begin while treatment is still happening, or within one to three months after it is done. Skin-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can include dryness, itchiness, redness and swelling. You should also be careful in the sun while receiving cancer treatment because you may be more susceptible to sunburn.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Treatment options include pain medication and other therapies like acupuncture, massage therapy and physical therapy. Fatigue. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a severe form of fatigue often described by people with cancer as an overwhelming tiredness, exhaustion and weakness that doesn’t go away with sleep and rest.
How many people will have cancer by 2026?
That number is expected to increase to more than 20 million by 2026.
How long do side effects of cancer last?
But some people experience severe side effects that last for months or even years after treatment is completed. If you are experiencing any side effects from your cancer treatment, it’s important to discuss them with your doctor. Treatment of side effects is an important part of cancer care and your quality of life.
What are the side effects of cancer treatment?
Talk with your doctor about any new symptoms or side effects that you experience. Fatigue. Fatigue is a constant feeling of physical, emotional, or mental tiredness. It is the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Some cancer survivors have fatigue for months or even years after finishing treatment.
How long after cancer treatment do side effects occur?
Many people who have had cancer treatment have a risk of developing long-term side effects. These side effects can happen months or years after treatment. Evaluating and treating late effects is an important part of cancer survivorship care.
How does radiation affect food?
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery may affect how a person digests food. Surgery or radiation therapy to the abdominal area can cause tissue scarring, long-term pain, and intestinal problems. Some survivors may have chronic diarrhea that reduces the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
What are the problems with the endocrine system?
This system includes the glands and other organs that make hormones and make eggs or sperm. Cancer survivors at risk for hormone changes from treatment need regular blood tests to measure hormone levels. Menopause.
What are the side effects of radiation?
Increased risk of stroke from high doses of radiation to the brain. Nervous system side effects, including damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, called peripheral neuropathy. Cancer survivors should have regular physical examinations and hearing tests after treatment to check for these effects.
What medicine did you receive for Hodgkin lymphoma?
Are 65 and older. Received higher doses of chemotherapy. Received certain medicines, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin, Ogivri) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Doxil) Below is a list of common heart conditions.
Does radiation damage bone marrow?
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also damage bone marrow stem cells. This increases the risk of either acute leukemia or myelodysplasia. Myelodysplasia is a blood cancer where the normal parts of the blood are either not made or are abnormal.
