According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, cancer-related fatigue is a persistent feeling of physical, emotional, or mental tiredness caused by cancer and/or its treatment. Unlike normal fatigue, the feeling may not be relieved by rest or sleep and may last for months or years following cancer treatment.
Patients experiencing fatigue may find it impossible to complete their normal, daily activities or meet their responsibilities at home or in the workplace. Symptoms of cancer-related fatigue are often characterized by sluggishness, listlessness, exhaustion or an inability to think or motivate oneself and may cause patients to avoid or skip treatments all together.
Although some causes of fatigue can be traced to certain medications, nutrition or activity levels, the most common source is related to the type of treatment a patient is receiving. Cancer patients receiving treatments such as chemotherapy, conventional radiation therapy or immunotherapy can experience some type of fatigue throughout the course of treatment for a variety of reasons.
For patients seeking a treatment option that can reduce the impact of cancer-related fatigue, treatment with CyberKnife® technology is an important alternative. CyberKnife treats patients with a specialized form of radiation therapy called stereotactic radiosurgery. During treatment, precisely focused high doses of radiation are targeted and delivered to a tumor. This unique approach minimizes radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and can significantly reduce side effects such as fatigue that are more common with methods that treat a larger margin of normal tissue in addition to treating the cancer cells.
Click here to view an infographic that highlights more of the top benefits of CyberKnife treatment. To determine if you or a loved one is showing signs of cancer-related fatigue, visit the American Cancer Society to read about specific symptoms.
This is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your health care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.