Fatigue is the feeling of being tired physically, mentally and emotionally. It means having less energy to do the things you normally do or want to do.

Cancer-related fatigue is defined as an unusual and persistent sense of tiredness that can occur with cancer or cancer treatment. It can become chronic in that it can persist over time and can interfere with usual activities. This fatigue is different from the fatigue of everyday life, which is usually temporary and relieved by rest. Cancer-related fatigue is more severe and more distressing. Rest does not always relieve it. For some people, this kind of fatigue can be more distressing than even pain, nausea/vomiting or depression. Cancer-related fatigue can:

• Vary in its unpleasantness, severity and amount of time that it is present
• Be overwhelming and hinder your ability to feel well
• Make even being with your friends and family difficult
• Decrease the ability to continue your normal activities, including going to work
• Make it difficult to follow your cancer treatment plan

Cancer patients identify fatigue as the most distressing symptom resulting from cancer and its treatment and one that drastically affects their quality of life. Patients rarely describe their symptom as "fatigue" unless their healthcare team suggests it. 

Before starting cancer therapy, the team must know about your level of fatigue; in other words, how severe your fatigue is.  The best measure for fatigue comes from your own report of your level of fatigue to the healthcare team.

You can describe your level of fatigue as none, mild, moderate or severe, or you can use a scale of 1 to 10, in which a 0 means no fatigue and a 10 means the worst fatigue imaginable. It is important you communicate this to your healthcare team.

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