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Symptom Specific Services
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Fatigue
• What
is cancer-related fatigue?
• What
is causing my fatigue?
• How
is my fatigue related to my treatment?
• Does
chronic fatigue mean that my cancer has worsened?
• How
will Continuum Cancer Centers
of New York assess my fatigue?
• What
treatments do Continuum Cancer
Centers of New York provide for fatigue?
• Specific
treatments for cancer related fatigue
• 10
tips to help you lessen fatigue, or assist you in treating
it
• Why
does my fatigue continue even after I rest or sleep?
Does chronic fatigue mean that
my cancer has worsened?
Cancer patients experiencing fatigue often do not report it
to their doctors. They may be fearful that fatigue symptoms
are associated with recurrence, or that their cancer has spread.
However, fatigue may be related to cancer treatment, anemia,
liver function, kidney function, lung function, inactivity,
or a variety of other causes. Treatment interventions that
alleviate fatigue symptoms are available, and patients should
report their fatigue symptoms to their doctors.
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How will
Continuum Cancer Centers of New York assess my fatigue?
Our assessment of fatigue begins with a detailed description
of its history, development, symptoms and causes. This information
is acquired from your self-report, medical history, physical
examination and a review of laboratory tests such as blood
counts and imaging studies (CT or MRI scan).
We assess the onset of your fatigue, the course of your symptoms,
the severity or intensity, the level of distress, and the
degree of interference with your daily activities. We also
examine factors that relieve fatigue or make it worse. These
factors may be emotional (e.g., moods), social (relationships
with family and friends), or psychological (effect on thought
process). They are assessed using either a verbal rating scale
(none, mild, moderate, and severe) or a numerical scale of
zero to 10.
If you feel fatigue (or think you do), talk to your physician,
nurse or caregiver. Your medical team can provide you with
information to reduce fatigue, or prescribe medications to
treat any physical conditions that may be the cause.
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What
treatments do Continuum Cancer Centers of New York provide for fatigue?
We help patients with fatigue by working with Beth Israel's
Center for Fatigue, which is a collaborative project between
the Department of Pain Medicine and the Cancer Center. An
interdisciplinary team assesses and treats patients who experience
chronic fatigue as a result of cancer and cancer treatment.
The center takes a comprehensive approach to care and uses
a variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
The program also promotes research by allowing patient participation
in clinical trials, as well as education for patients, their
caregivers, and medical professionals. Treatments are tailored
to meet the individual needs and lifestyles of each patient,
and are provided by a specialty team of physicians, advanced
practice nurses, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists,
exercise therapists and other key personnel.
The Center for Fatigue currently operates as a demonstration
project, offering a model of care for the management of fatigue
and improved quality of life, supported in part by an unrestricted
educational grant from Ortho Biotech, Inc.
For more information, contact:
www.stoppain.org/palliative_care/index_fatigue.html
or
Marilyn Bookbinder, RN, PhD
Director of Nursing
Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care
Beth Israel Medical Center
First Avenue at 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone (212) 844-1462
mbinder@bethisraelny.org
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