March 23, 2010 - NCI: Fatigue: Is it Normal or Pathological? And How Can We Best Treat It?

"Despite years of scientific study of cancer-related fatigue (CRF), questions related to its definition, measurement, underlying mechanisms, and effective interventions remain unanswered. Yet, the high prevalence of CRF and its negative effects on quality-of-life outcomes, including work and family functioning, make it a critical problem for cancer patients and survivors. Clearly, more research is needed to reduce morbidity associated with this symptom.

To address this, on April 13 and 14, NCI’s Symptom Management and Health-related Quality of Life Steering Committee will convene a closed-attendance state-of-the-science meeting on CRF, which I will chair. During this meeting, we will summarize the science, address gaps in knowledge that require further study, and develop a focused agenda for future research......

Perhaps the best way to appreciate the urgent need to better understand and treat CRF is from the perspective of cancer patients and survivors who have experienced it. In discussing CRF, invariably they talk about their inability to get out of the house, work, cook meals and do dishes, get up the stairs to go to bed, or do half the things they did before. It is for these reasons that scientists need to fill the gaps in our knowledge of CRF."