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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
08:56
Evaluating the Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer-related Fatigue
Published on: May 17, 2018
Breast Cancer and Fatigue
Wayne A Bardwell1, Sonia Ancoli-Israel
1University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, San Diego, CA.
Sleep Medicine Clinics
|September 5, 2008
Summary
Cancer-related fatigue is a common, disabling symptom affecting patients and survivors. This chapter reviews fatigue assessment, occurrence, mechanisms, and treatment strategies for breast cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Survivorship
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating symptom experienced by breast cancer patients and survivors.
- The concept of fatigue is complex, often overlapping with symptoms like sleepiness and depressed mood.
- Understanding fatigue is crucial for improving patient quality of life during and after cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of fatigue in breast cancer.
- To discuss methods for assessing cancer-related fatigue.
- To explore the occurrence, mechanisms, and treatment of fatigue.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of fatigue assessment tools.
- Analysis of fatigue patterns across different treatment phases (pre-, during, post-treatment).
- Synthesis of current research on fatigue mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.
Main Results:
- Fatigue occurs commonly before, during, and after breast cancer treatment.
- Multiple underlying mechanisms contribute to cancer-related fatigue.
- Various treatment approaches exist, though fatigue remains a significant challenge.
Conclusions:
- Effective assessment and management of fatigue are essential for breast cancer care.
- Further research into the multifactorial mechanisms of fatigue is warranted.
- Multimodal treatment strategies are necessary to alleviate fatigue in breast cancer patients and survivors.
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