Managing cancer-related fatigue

Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness or exhaustion. As many as 9 out of 10 people with cancer get cancer-related fatigue. It can be caused by the cancer itself, or the side effects of treatment. 

You may find during or after cancer treatment that you feel very tired and lethargic.  This is extremely common and may be due to the treatment itself, or to side effects such as not sleeping well.

If you are trying to overcome cancer fatigue, we recommend that you ‘plan, prioritise and pace’ yourself. We refer to this as the three Ps.

  • Plan: Set yourself realistic goals and don’t be too ambitious
  • Prioritise: Work out when you have the most energy and prioritise the most important activities or work to do first
  • Pace: Break tasks into manageable chunks of time, plan regular rest breaks.        

 

More information and advice

For more information and advice on cancer-related fatigue please refer to:

 

You may also find our page on side effects of cancer treatment useful.