Fatigue/Lack of Endurance: Common Side Effect

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Symptom Management
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Fatigue is a persistent, subjective sense of exhaustion not proportional to activity, interfering with function.
• Lack of endurance signifies limited physical capacity for sustained activity.
• 80-100% of cancer patients report fatigue, often alongside pain, depression, dyspnea, anorexia, and sleep disturbance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define fatigue and lack of endurance in the context of cancer care.
• To highlight the prevalence and common co-occurring symptoms of cancer-related fatigue.
• To underscore the reliance on evidence-based practice for managing these symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Review of established evidence-based practices for managing fatigue and lack of endurance.
• Definition and characterization of fatigue and lack of endurance.
• Analysis of symptom clustering with other common cancer-related symptoms.

Main Results:

• Fatigue is a prevalent and distressing symptom in 80-100% of cancer patients.
• Fatigue can manifest as an isolated symptom or within a cluster of symptoms.
• Standard care for fatigue/lack of endurance is rooted in evidence-based practice.

Conclusions:

• Cancer-related fatigue is a significant and pervasive issue impacting patient quality of life.
• Understanding fatigue as a symptom cluster is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
• Evidence-based practice remains the cornerstone for managing cancer-related fatigue and lack of endurance.