Fatigue-reducing strategies used by patients receiving treatment for cancer

In order to determine which strategies are most effective in relieving fatigue of women undergoing treatment for cancer, women receiving either chemotherapy (n = 45) or radiation therapy (n = 54) were interviewed twice to determine their level of fatigue and the effectiveness of the strategies they used to relieve their fatigue. The subjects were interviewed either at the start and mid-point of any cycle of chemotherapy, or at the beginning and end of a 5- or 6-week course of radiation therapy. At each interview, the subjects completed the Pearson Byars Fatigue Feeling Checklist and the Fatigue Relief Scale. At the second interview, the patients were significantly more fatigued than they had been at the first interview (p < 0.0001). The more effective the fatigue-relieving strategies at the second interview, the less fatigue experienced by the women (p < 0.0001). At both interviews, subjects used similar strategies to relieve their fatigue. Sleep and exercise were among the most effective strategies. However, there was a wide range of scores for each strategy used, indicating variability among subjects as to the effectiveness of the strategy. The results of the study provide nurses with some guidance as to strategies they might suggest to patients who experience fatigue.