Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Evaluating the Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer-related Fatigue
Published on: May 17, 2018
Fatigue after treatment for early stage breast cancer: a controlled comparison
Paul B Jacobsen1, Kristine A Donovan, Brent J Small
1Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA. paul.jacobsen@moffitt.org
Background:
Evidence suggests that fatigue may be a greater problem for cancer survivors than people without cancer. The present study sought to determine whether fatigue was greater in women who had completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer relative to a demographically matched comparison group of women with no cancer history.
Methods:
As part of a larger study, women with stage 0-II breast cancer were recruited before the start of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (n = 100) or radiotherapy only (n = 121). Fatigue was assessed at the end of treatment and 2, 4, and 6 months later. An age- and geographically matched sample of women with no history of cancer was recruited and assessed for comparison purposes.
Results:
Relative to comparison subjects, breast cancer survivors reported more days of fatigue in the past week at all 4 study assessments (P < .05). These differences appeared to be clinically meaningful in that a greater percentage of patients than nonpatients earned scores in the abnormal range on this measure at each assessment (P < .05). Additional analyses indicated that differences in fatigue between patients and comparison subjects were attributable primarily to heightened fatigue in women who received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that fatigue is a greater problem for breast cancer survivors in the 6 months after completion of chemotherapy than for women with no cancer history. Future research should include longer-term follow-up to determine the persistence of fatigue in this population of survivors.
