It is common to feel very tired during or after treatment, and you may lack the energy to carry out day-to-day activities. Fatigue for people with cancer is different from tiredness, as it may not go away with rest or sleep. You may lose interest in things that you usually enjoy doing or feel unable to concentrate on one thing for very long. For some people, fatigue continues for months or years after treatment ends.
Let your treatment team know if you are struggling with fatigue. Sometimes fatigue can be caused by a low red blood cell count or be a side effect of drugs or a sign of depression, which can all be treated. There are often programs available through hospitals and treatment centres to help you manage fatigue. A referral to an occupational therapist can also assist with managing fatigue.
For more on this, see our general section on Fatigue and cancer.
Tips for managing fatigue
- Plan your day. Set small manageable goals and rest before you get too tired.
- Keep to a regular schedule if possible. Avoid sleeping in, go to bed at your usual time, and take a short nap if you get tired during the day.
- Don’t expect to be able to do everything you used to be able to right away. Gradually increase the activity you do each day.
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to keep energy levels up.
- Regular light-to-moderate exercise has been shown to reduce fatigue. Even a walk around the block can help. A physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can make an exercise program for you.
- Ask for and accept help with shopping or childcare. Try apps like Gather My Crew.
Podcast: Managing Cancer Fatigue
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A/Prof Martin Batstone, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and Director of the Maxillofacial Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Polly Baldwin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Martin Boyle, Consumer; Dr Teresa Brown, Assistant Director Dietetics, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Honorary Associate Professor, University of Queensland, QLD; Dr Hayley Dixon, Head, Clinical Support Dentistry Department, WSLHD Oral Health Services, Public Health Dentistry Specialist, NSW; Head and Neck Cancer Care Nursing Team, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; Rhys Hughes, Senior Speech Pathologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Annette Lim, Medical Oncologist and Clinician Researcher – Head and Neck and Non-melanoma Skin Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Sweet Ping Ng, Radiation Oncologist, Austin Health, VIC; Deb Pickersgill, Senior Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Queensland Sports Medicine Centre, QLD; John Spurr, Consumer; Kate Woodhead, Physiotherapist, St Vincent’s Health, Melbourne, VIC; A/Prof Sue-Ching Yeoh, Oral Medicine Specialist, University of Sydney, Sydney Oral Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW.
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