Contribution of Fatigue to Cancer patients
Fatigue, in contrast to tiredness, is a
daily lack of energy, an unusual or excessive whole-body tiredness not relieved
by sleep. It can be acute or chronic. Fatigue can prevent a
person from functioning normally and impacts a person's quality of life.
Fatigue is one of the most common
side effects of cancer and its treatment. It is not predictable by
tumour type, treatment, or stage of illness. Usually, it comes on suddenly,
does not result from activity or exertion, and is not relieved by rest
or sleep. It often is described as "paralyzing." It may continue
even after treatment is complete.
Cancer treatments
commonly associated with fatigue include:
- Chemotherapy. Any chemotherapy
drug may cause fatigue. Patients frequently experience fatigue after
several weeks of chemotherapy, but this varies among patients. In
some patients, fatigue lasts a few days, while in others, it persists
throughout and after the treatment is complete.
- Radiation therapy. Radiation
therapy can cause cumulative fatigue (fatigue that increases over
time). This can occur regardless of the treatment site. Fatigue usually
lasts from three to four weeks after treatment stops, but can continue for
up to two to three months.
- Bone marrow transplantation. This aggressive
form of treatment can cause fatigue that lasts up to one year.
- Biological therapy. Interferons and
interleukins are cytokines, natural cell proteins that are normally
released by white blood cells in response to infection. These
cytokines carry messages that regulate other elements of the immune and
endocrine systems. In high amounts, these cytokines can be toxic and lead
to persistent fatigue.
- Combination or sequential therapy. More
than one cancer treatmentat the same time or one after the other
increases the chances of developing fatigue.
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