An examination of fatigue in advanced childhood cancer.

Fatigue is a complex phenomenon without a widely accepted definition, and is one of the least explained phenomena of advanced disease. A great deal of work and research has been done to explore the experience, incidence, and management of fatigue in children with cancer. Fatigue remains, however, a source of suffering for children with advanced disease and their families. The knowledge we have gained from the study of fatigue in children receiving antineoplastic therapy can be applied to children during this phase of their illness. The goal of this article is to address the incidence of fatigue in the advanced stage of illness, review the literature regarding fatigue in pediatric oncology, and propose how such findings may be applicable to children in the later stages of their illness.