Contribution of anemia to fatigue in the cancer patient.

One of the goals of the proposed National Comprehensive Cancer Network Practice Guidelines for Cancer-Related Fatigue is outlining a systematic approach to the evaluation, intervention, and assessment of outcome in the treatment of fatigue. Anemia has been characterized as a major contributor to fatigue, and a review of patients receiving cancer therapy showed that the majority developed anemia. The current data support the value of returning hemoglobin levels to the normal range in terms of maximizing improvements in quality of life related to anemia. The potential impact of anemia in terms of treatment outcome is under investigation.