Fatigue is when your mind and body feel tired. Regular fatigue is when you feel tired but you feel better when you get rest and sleep. Cancer-related fatigue is more severe and lasts longer than other types of fatigue you may have felt before. It can make it hard for you to do things on a daily basis. This kind of fatigue is related to cancer or its treatment.
Cancer-related fatigue can affect your relationships, daily activities and ability to work. It can occur at any time during treatment, and can continue even after treatment ends. It can come and go, be mild or severe, last a short or long time.
Causes
Cancer-related fatigue can be caused by the cancer itself, cancer treatment, or many other things. It may not be possible to know the exact cause of your fatigue. It is important to speak to your doctor about other medical problems that may contribute to your cancer related fatigue.
What you can do
There are many ways you can reduce cancer-related fatigue. If you are still seeing your oncologist at Princess Margaret, you can ask them about referral to the Fatigue Clinic.
If you have stopped seeing your oncologist, ask your family doctor, nurse practitioner or your primary care team for resources.
Many other tips for coping with fatigue are described in the booklet "How to Manage Fatigue" [PDF, opens in new window] »
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