[Assessing fatigue in the cancer patient: complementary contribution of quantitative and qualitative tools]

Fatigue is a frequent symptom experienced by cancer patients. Many quantitative tools has been developed to measure and assess the impact of fatigue on the quality of life of cancer patients. This article: 1) summarises quantitative research that has investigated fatigue in cancer patients and 2) presents preliminary results of our quantitative and qualitative study which has been conducted at the Institut Gustave-Roussy. The aim of the quantitative part was the validation of a measurement instrument (Fact) before its utilisation in a clinical trial comparing the efficiency of blood transfusion and erythropoietin in the treatment of anemia in cancer patients. The aim of the qualitative part was to analyse the experience of fatigue in daily life, the impact on work, social life and family relations, and the strategies developed by the patients in order to reduce fatigue. This article shows the complementary contribution of a quantitative tool (standardized questionnaire and statistical treatment of findings) and a qualitative instrument (interview and qualitative analysis) in the assessment of fatigue in cancer patients.