Fatigue: Causes

We currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery). It is reported that the fatigue people get when receiving cancer treatment is more severe than the fatigue healthy people get. In addition, this fatigue lasts longer and is not relieved by sleep. Studies have shown that low hemoglobin is also related to fatigue. Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood, so if it is low, the body cells do not get as much oxygen as they need. Also, people who are not well nourished, who don't drink enough fluid and are dehydrated, or who are not able to move around much tend to have fatigue more easily. Finally, the way a person handles stress, thinks, or behaves can influence fatigue.

References:

Chan CW and Molassiotis A. The impact of fatigue on Chinese cancer patients in Hong Kong. Support Care Cancer 2001;9(1):18-24.

Ferrell BR, Grant M, Dean GE et al. “Bone Tired:” The experience of fatigue and its impact on quality of life. Oncology Nursing Forum 1996;23:1539-1547.

Winningham M and Barton-Burke M. Fatigue in Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett 2003.