When you undergoradiation therapytotreat cancer, your healthcare provider may provide you with a list of possible side effects of treatment. Things like nausea, diarrhea, and hair loss usually catch a person’s attention first because they seem to be the worst.
However,fatigueis one of the most common side effects. A lack of energy and excessive tiredness is common for cancer patients no matter their therapy, but those undergoing radiation therapy experience fatigue more frequently. It also worsens as treatment continues.
This article reviews symptoms of fatigue, why radiation causes it, tips to manage andcope with fatigue, and when to call your healthcare provider
Prevalence of Cancer Related FatigueAbout 50%–90% of cancer patients worldwide experience cancer-related fatigue.
Prevalence of Cancer Related Fatigue
About 50%–90% of cancer patients worldwide experience cancer-related fatigue.
John Fedele / Getty Images
Symptoms of Fatigue
The following symptoms begin after a week or so of the first radiation treatment:
Walking from the parking lot to your office may take longer and it may be difficult to accomplish physical tasks. Fatigue can be extremely frustrating because you aren’t quite sleepy, but you just don’t have enough energy to do much.
Fatigue does affect everyone differently. Some may experience mild fatigue, while others may suffer from severechronic fatiguethat affects their quality of life considerably.Your fatigue may increase over time as you undergo more radiation therapy treatments.
What Is Fatigue?
Why Does Radiation Therapy Cause Fatigue?
Fatigue occurs during radiation therapy because the body is working hard to repair the damage caused to healthy cells during treatment. The degree of fatigue generally varies depending on the amount of tissue irradiated, as well as the location.
Radiation therapy may not be the sole culprit of fatigue. Fatigue also is a symptom of cancer itself and the mental stress associated with being a cancer patient. Certain medications, such as those to prevent and treat nausea, can also be responsible for fatigue.It’s not always possible to pinpoint the exact cause because there are many factors in cancer treatment.
10 Tips to Help Cope With Fatigue
The following tips can help you prevent or cope with cancer fatigue:
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Many people underestimate fatigue and fail to discuss it with their practitioner. Severe fatigue that does not resolve with the tips above should be reported to your healthcare provider.
There can be underlying medical reasons for fatigue, such asanemia, that may need to be addressed. Your healthcare provider may be able to determine what is contributing to your fatigue and offer solutions.
Call your healthcare provider if you experience the following symptoms:
Summary
Fatigue is different from regular tiredness. It is not related to increased activity levels, it can interfere with activities of daily living, and it does not resolve with sleep or caffeine.
Radiation therapy causes fatigue because the body is working so hard to repair the damage that treatment has caused. Symptoms include exhaustion, mental fatigue, pain, nausea, short-term memory problems, and more.
Asking for help and self-care are important for coping with fatigue. Self-care includes nutrition, rest, mild exercise, stress reduction, and hydration. Fatigue can be a result of underlying problems such as anemia or malnutrition. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing severe symptoms of fatigue.
A Word From Verywell
Fatigue is a frustrating symptom for those undergoing radiation therapy. Suddenly experiencing these limitations can impact your emotional and mental well-being. Try to be easy on yourself and keep in mind that it usually resolves a few months after treatment ends.
Talk with your healthcare provider if the tips in this article don’t help or if fatigue is affecting your quality of life.
Frequently Asked QuestionsRadiation fatigue typically goes away within one to two months of the end of treatment. However, some patients report that it takes up to 12 months.This variation may be due to treatments they are receiving along with radiation. Surgery, chemotherapy, and emotional healing can all affect fatigue.Most side effects from radiation therapy resolve within a couple of months of treatment ends.This can vary based on the person, other types of cancer treatment, and underlying causes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Radiation fatigue typically goes away within one to two months of the end of treatment. However, some patients report that it takes up to 12 months.This variation may be due to treatments they are receiving along with radiation. Surgery, chemotherapy, and emotional healing can all affect fatigue.
Most side effects from radiation therapy resolve within a couple of months of treatment ends.This can vary based on the person, other types of cancer treatment, and underlying causes.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17Stadje R, Dornieden K, Baum E, et al.The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):147. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0545-5Hsiao C, Daly B, Saligan L.The Etiology and management of radiotherapy-induced fatigue.Expert Rev Qual Life Cancer Care. 2016;1(4):323-328. doi:10.1080/23809000.2016.1191948Wang XS, Woodruff JF.Cancer-related and treatment-related fatigue.Gynecol Oncol. 2015;136(3):446-52. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.10.013National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.Sleep Foundation.Why is sleep hygiene important?Harvard Medical School Health Publishing.Fight fatigue with fluids.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC health schools: Energy drinks.Thong M, van Noorden C, Steindorf K, Arndt V.Cancer-related fatigue: Causes and current treatment options. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2020;21(2):17..doi: 10.1007/s11864-020-0707-5Gupta A, Hussain S, Nayyar HK, Sonthwal N, Manaktala R, Chaturvedi H.Perception, magnitude, and implications of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Study from a developing country. J Cancer Res Ther. 2021;17(4):998-1002. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_151_19Additional ReadingMohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17National Cancer Institute.Fatigue (PDQ).National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17Stadje R, Dornieden K, Baum E, et al.The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):147. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0545-5Hsiao C, Daly B, Saligan L.The Etiology and management of radiotherapy-induced fatigue.Expert Rev Qual Life Cancer Care. 2016;1(4):323-328. doi:10.1080/23809000.2016.1191948Wang XS, Woodruff JF.Cancer-related and treatment-related fatigue.Gynecol Oncol. 2015;136(3):446-52. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.10.013National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.Sleep Foundation.Why is sleep hygiene important?Harvard Medical School Health Publishing.Fight fatigue with fluids.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC health schools: Energy drinks.Thong M, van Noorden C, Steindorf K, Arndt V.Cancer-related fatigue: Causes and current treatment options. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2020;21(2):17..doi: 10.1007/s11864-020-0707-5Gupta A, Hussain S, Nayyar HK, Sonthwal N, Manaktala R, Chaturvedi H.Perception, magnitude, and implications of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Study from a developing country. J Cancer Res Ther. 2021;17(4):998-1002. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_151_19Additional ReadingMohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17National Cancer Institute.Fatigue (PDQ).National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17Stadje R, Dornieden K, Baum E, et al.The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):147. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0545-5Hsiao C, Daly B, Saligan L.The Etiology and management of radiotherapy-induced fatigue.Expert Rev Qual Life Cancer Care. 2016;1(4):323-328. doi:10.1080/23809000.2016.1191948Wang XS, Woodruff JF.Cancer-related and treatment-related fatigue.Gynecol Oncol. 2015;136(3):446-52. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.10.013National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.Sleep Foundation.Why is sleep hygiene important?Harvard Medical School Health Publishing.Fight fatigue with fluids.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC health schools: Energy drinks.Thong M, van Noorden C, Steindorf K, Arndt V.Cancer-related fatigue: Causes and current treatment options. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2020;21(2):17..doi: 10.1007/s11864-020-0707-5Gupta A, Hussain S, Nayyar HK, Sonthwal N, Manaktala R, Chaturvedi H.Perception, magnitude, and implications of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Study from a developing country. J Cancer Res Ther. 2021;17(4):998-1002. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_151_19
Mohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17
Stadje R, Dornieden K, Baum E, et al.The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):147. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0545-5
Hsiao C, Daly B, Saligan L.The Etiology and management of radiotherapy-induced fatigue.Expert Rev Qual Life Cancer Care. 2016;1(4):323-328. doi:10.1080/23809000.2016.1191948
Wang XS, Woodruff JF.Cancer-related and treatment-related fatigue.Gynecol Oncol. 2015;136(3):446-52. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.10.013
National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.
Sleep Foundation.Why is sleep hygiene important?
Harvard Medical School Health Publishing.Fight fatigue with fluids.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC health schools: Energy drinks.
Thong M, van Noorden C, Steindorf K, Arndt V.Cancer-related fatigue: Causes and current treatment options. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2020;21(2):17..doi: 10.1007/s11864-020-0707-5
Gupta A, Hussain S, Nayyar HK, Sonthwal N, Manaktala R, Chaturvedi H.Perception, magnitude, and implications of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Study from a developing country. J Cancer Res Ther. 2021;17(4):998-1002. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_151_19
Mohandas H, Jaganathan S, Mani M, Ayyar M, Thevi G.Cancer-related fatigue treatment. An overview.Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2017;13(6):916-929. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_50_17National Cancer Institute.Fatigue (PDQ).National Cancer Institute.Radiation Therapy and You.
National Cancer Institute.Fatigue (PDQ).
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