Fatigue assessment in cancer clinical trials.

Studies repeatedly show that fatigue correlates directly with overall quality of life, greater fatigue leading to poorer outcomes. A considerable number of studies reported in the last decade stress the complex problem faced by cancer patients experiencing fatigue, when undergoing treatments and/or following a course of treatment. Fatigue can continue for many years after cure and for those patients with an active or progressive disease, fatigue can lead to a loss of overall quality of life that is limiting in the extreme. While researchers continue to develop new treatments and approaches that can have benefits in terms of survival, it is important to understand how fatigue affects cancer patients and how it can be addressed in cancer clinical trials.