[Management of fatigue in oncology]

Fatigue associated with cancer may be present at any stage of the disease; its characteristics vary depending on the type and the duration of treatment, the presence of side effects and the reactions from patients. Often associated with other symptoms (pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, stress etc.), fatigue affects the daily life of patients as much as or even more than pain. This multi-factored and annoying symptom is linked to physical, cognitive and affective functioning, which must be assessed (Piper fatigue scale). Beside the medical management, nursing research found four efficient interventions to reduce fatigue: educating patients and their families, programming physical conditioning and activities to restore the attention, improving diet, hydration and sleep. The pluridisciplinary management of this symptom is a key factor to a better quality of life.