Outcomes of a Cancer-Related Fatigue Clinic in a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Abstract 

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a significant issue for cancer patients and frequently precipitates increased stress and anxiety for patients and caregivers alike. CRF may present well after the initial phase of cancer diagnosis and treatment, regardless of whether the cancer is in remission, widely metastatic, or somewhere in between. Determining whether the etiology of fatigue is potentially reversible and whether it is an effect of treatment or another unrelated cause is often perplexing. Because of the significant impact of CRF on patients at our institution, we organized a CRF clinic and began evaluating patients for fatigue in 1998. Our goal has been to initiate a more focused and, at the same time, more comprehensive effort in educating, evaluating, and treating CRF. The purpose of this report was to present a retrospective review of patients treated in our CRF clinic between 1998 and 2005, to examine the outcomes of our patients, and to briefly describe some of the challenges encountered in treating these patients. This information may help reassess and improve approaches in addressing CRF and subsequently improve fatigue in these patients.

Key Words: Cancer-related fatigue, fatigue clinic, symptom management, intervention