ABSTRACT
This chapter utilizes the word 'fatigue' to describe a range of symptoms from tiredness to inability to function normally due to lack of energy. Fatigue is almost universal among cancer sufferers, and patients use a variety of words to describe their energy levels. Fatigued patients lose motivation, mental concentration and manual capacity to work. Various instruments have been proposed for measuring fatigue, ranging from visual analogue scales, through numerical Likert-type scales to the 54-item Profile of Fatigue-Related Symptoms. Fatigue is difficult to manage, partly because patients vary so much in their presentation and their coping abilities. All fatigued patients should be assessed by the occupational therapist to discuss their activities of daily living and think about any modifications to the home which may be required to help them to continue to live a relatively normal life for as long as possible.
