Fatigue And Physical Performance Evaluation
At the baseline , demographic and anthropometric characteristics, cancer location and staging, as well as pharmacologic history, have been assessed. All outcomes were also evaluated at the end of the 4-week rehabilitation treatment , and at 2 months follow-up .
Primary Outcome
The primary outcome measure was the Brief Fatigue Inventory , a multidimensional self-report scale that assesses the effects of fatigue on health-related quality of life originally reported by Mendoza et al. . This survey is composed of nine questions scored on a 010 point scale. The BFI is presented as two parts. Specifically, the first three questions rate the current, usual, and worst levels of fatigue over the last 24 h, while the remaining six questions are related to the impact of fatigue on activity, mood, walking, work, relationships, and enjoyment of life. A total BFI score is then calculated by the mean of the nine scores, where scores 13 indicate slight fatigue, scores 46 moderate fatigue, and scores 710 severe fatigue.
Secondary Outcomes
Breast Cancer Fatigue Before Diagnosis
How do I tell when I have breast cancer? This has been the question most people ask but they dont have the most appropriate answer. Breast cancer eats slowly into the body which can make it difficult to be identified in the early stages. Breast cancer fatigue before diagnosis is common among the cancer patients and it must be monitored and managed properly.
This can be characterized by low energy in the body and weakness which are rarely experienced by healthy people. Such condition may be treated lightly before cancer diagnosis and can easily be assumed to be the normal sleep. The fatigue may be experienced as a result of breast cancer without the knowledge of an individual or may be caused by the treatment process.
Cancer diagnosis
You dont have to wait for the breast cancer condition to get worse to take the necessary steps for diagnosis and treatment. Today therere better ways for cancer diagnosis which are effective and cost effective in terms of budget. You can totally depend on the related symptoms and fatigue to tell o the cancer condition but a lot more needs to be done.
Across the world, different people have reported extreme fatigue which later turned up to be caused by the breast cancer. You should work closely with your doctor for the right diagnose when you feel extreme levels of fatigue.Impact of the breast cancer fatigue.
A Note About Sex And Gender
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms, male, female, or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. .
There are many different types of breast cancer.
Each form of breast cancer develops in a different part of the breast and can affect different tissue types.
Since many breast cancers cause no symptoms, people should attend regular screenings. This can help identify the disease in its early stages.
Below, we outline the types of breast cancer and their symptoms.
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Early Signs Of Breast Cancer
Pinpointing breast cancer in its earliest stages isnt easy because breast cancer signs and symptoms are different for everyone. Sometimes there is a palpable lump or tenderness. Very often, there is neither. Generally, breast cancer shows no symptoms in the early stage.
However, there are certain changes in the breast that may indicate breast cancer in both men and women.
Whether you are a man or a woman, its important to become familiar with your breasts so you can recognize when changes occur and seek timely treatment. Know the facts and understand your risk factors for the disease, such as genetics and family history, by reviewing these frequently asked questions.
Ways To Save Up Your Energy
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Nutrition And Unwanted Weight Loss
Although a loss of appetite can make it hard to eat, its important to get enough calories, protein and nutrients. Eating helps strengthen your body.
Your health care provider can help you decide how many calories you need each day.
For most people with metastatic breast cancer, major weight loss isnt a problem until the cancer is very advanced.
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Tips to prevent unwanted weight loss |
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For more tips on improving nutrition and loss of appetite , visit the National Cancer Institute website.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centers Cook for Your Life website offers recipes, cooking videos and nutrition and health information in English and Spanish.
Lobular Carcinoma In Situ Symptoms
Lobular carcinoma in situ does not cause symptoms and cannot be seen with a mammogram. This condition is usually found when a doctor is doing a breast biopsy for another reason, such as to investigate an unrelated breast lump. If a person has LCIS, the breast cells will appear abnormal under a microscope.
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Why Noticing Cancer Symptoms Is Important
Identifying symptoms can help you and your doctor detect your cancer earlier. This is important because the sooner cancer is found, the better your prognosis.
For example, melanoma can be effectively treated if its spotted early. The five-year survival rate is around 98 percent if the cancer hasnt grown deep into the skin.
While symptoms are most likely caused by something other than cancer, you shouldnt dismiss them. This is especially true if the problem has lasted a long time or has gotten worse.
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Palliative Care And Pain Control
The side effects from treatments and the cancer itself can affect quality of life.
Controlling pain and other symptoms should be part of the standard of care for everyone with breast cancer. Its especially important for those with metastatic breast cancer though.
Treatment may include pain medications and may target specific parts of the body.
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What To Look For
- You feel tired and it doesnt get better with rest or sleep, it keeps coming back, or it becomes severe.
- Youre more tired than usual during or after an activity.
- Youre feeling tired and its not related to an activity.
- Youre too tired to do the things you normally do.
- Your arms and legs feel heavy and hard to move.
- You have no energy.
- You spend more time in bed and/or sleep more. Or, you may have trouble sleeping.
- You stay in bed for more than 24 hours.
- You become confused or cant concentrate or focus your thoughts.
- Your tiredness disrupts your work, social life, or daily routine.
It may be hard for you to talk about it, but tell your cancer care team about your fatigue. Tell them how its affecting your life. Someone on your team should be able to help you if they know youre having this problem. Managing fatigue is part of good cancer care. Work with your cancer care team to find and treat the causes of your fatigue.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms
Unlike other breast cancers, inflammatory breast cancer rarely causes breast lumps and may not appear on a mammogram. Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms include:
- Red, swollen, itchy breast that is tender to the touch
- The surface of the breast may take on a ridged or pitted appearance, similar to an orange peel
- Heaviness, burning, or aching in one breast
- One breast is visibly larger than the other
- Inverted nipple
- No mass is felt with a breast self-exam
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm and/or above the collarbone
- Symptoms unresolved after a course of antibiotics
Unlike other breast cancers, inflammatory breast cancer usually does not cause a distinct lump in the breast. Therefore, a breast self-exam, clinical breast exam, or even a mammogram may not detect inflammatory breast cancer. Ultrasounds may also miss inflammatory breast cancer. However, the changes to the surface of the breast caused by inflammatory breast cancer can be seen with the naked eye.
Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer can develop rapidly, and the disease can progress quickly. Any sudden changes in the texture or appearance of the breast should be reported to your doctor immediately.
For women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, redness, swelling, itchiness and soreness are often signs of a breast infection such as mastitis, which is treatable with antibiotics. If you are not pregnant or nursing and you develop these symptoms, your doctor should test for inflammatory breast cancer.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Cancer
Signs and symptoms are ways the body lets you know that you have an injury, illness, or disease.
- A sign, such as fever or bleeding, can be seen or measured by someone else.
- A symptom, such as pain or fatigue, is felt or noticed by the person who has it.
Signs and symptoms of cancer depend on where the cancer is, how big it is, and how much it affects nearby organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread , signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body.
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Low Levels Of Red Blood Cells
Cancer and its treatment can affect your bone marrow. The bone marrow is where your body makes red blood cells which carry oxygen around your body.
A lower than normal red blood cell count is called anaemia. Having too few red blood cells means your blood carries less oxygen and you can have:
- shortness of breath
- tiredness and lack of energy
- an increase in heart rate
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What Are The Early Signs Of Breast Cancer
The following symptoms dont automatically mean you have breast cancer, but Dr. Flanagan says its important to have any breast changes examined by a health care provider, just in case.
A mammogram is a go-to screening tool that uses low-dose X-rays to detect signs of breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. A mammogram can detect cancer in a large majority of people who have the disease but do not yet feel a lump in their breast, Dr. Flanagan saysthats why its so effective.
Mammograms also help experts find other detectable signs of breast cancer before more obvious changes might show up, Jennifer ONeill, MD, FACS, a breast surgeon with Arizona Oncology, tells SELF. These may include calcifications, which are tiny calcium deposits within breast tissue, masses of abnormal tissue, and distortions in breast tissue, per the American Cancer Society. This isnt always enough to confirm a breast cancer diagnosis, but these signs should prompt your doctor to order more tests, depending on what they find on the mammogram.
Youve probably heard of this oneand for good reason. If you feel a firm lump anywhere around your breast or underarm, dont ignore it. In fact, one study found that, of 56 noticeable breast cancer symptoms, a lump was by far the most frequently reported.1
Impact Of Adjuvant Breast Cancer Chemotherapy On Fatigue Other Symptoms And Quality Of Life
Katherine L. Byar
Purpose/Objectives: To identify differences in fatigue, other physical symptoms, and psychological symptoms and their relationship to quality of life during chemotherapy and as long as one year after.
Design: Longitudinal, descriptive design embedded in a pilot intervention study.
Setting: Midwestern urban oncology clinics and patient homes.
Sample: 25 Caucasian women, aged 40-65 years , with stage I or II breast cancer receiving doxorubicin-based chemotherapy.
Methods: The Piper Fatigue Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Symptom Experience Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey were completed before and after each treatment 30, 60, and 90 days after the last treatment and one year after the first treatment.
Main Research Variables: Fatigue, physical and psychological symptoms, and QOL.
Findings: Fatigue levels were moderately intense during treatments and decreased significantly overtime. Sleep disturbances and pain were the most frequent, intense, and distressing other physical symptoms. Anxiety was highest at baseline, and depression was highest during the fourth chemotherapy treatment. Fatigue was correlated with other physical and psychological symptoms at some times during treatments and consistently following treatments. Higher fatigue was associated with lower QOL in several domains.
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Talking With Your Health Care Team About Fatigue
Prepare for your visit by making a list of questions to ask. Consider adding these questions to your list:
- What is most likely causing my fatigue?
- What should I keep track of and share so we can develop a plan to help me feel better?
- What types of exercise do you recommend for me?
- How much rest should I have during the day? How much sleep should I get at night?
- What food and drinks are best for me?
- Are there treatments or medicines that could help me feel better?
Can Leukemia Cause Fatigue
With leukemia and lymphoma, cancer cells in the bone marrow can interfere with the normal production of blood cells. This can lead to anemia, and anemia can then lead to fatigue. Colon cancer and stomach cancer can cause anemia through blood loss in the bowels, likewise leading to fatigue. The metabolic processes of tumors can also contribute
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Mechanisms For Intervention Effects
The literature reviewed above suggests that a variety of different intervention approaches may be useful for cancer-related fatigue, including physical activity, psycho-education, cognitive-behavioral, and mind-body approaches. These interventions have different targets and may work through different mechanisms, including cognitive, behavioral, and biological mechanisms. For example, cognitive approaches to treating cancer-related fatigue specifically target maladaptive thoughts about fatigue, including catastrophizing138. Given that catastrophizing predicts more severe and persistent fatigue symptoms in cancer patients19, reducing the use of this coping mechanism may be one of the active ingredients that promotes reductions in fatigue. Even more physical approaches may work by changing thoughts and beliefs about fatigue for example, patients felt more confident about their ability to manage fatigue after learning certain yoga postures148, which might lead to reductions in fatigue symptoms.
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What Else Can Cause Fatigue
Many other factors can make you feel tired and fatigued if you have cancer. Some of these include:
- not sleeping well at night or sleeping too much during the day
- treatment may be harder for you to cope with especially if you’re elderly
- your tiredness may make it harder for you to concentrate so everything seems more difficult making you feel even more tired
- travelling to and from the hospital for treatment
- having a lot of visitors when you are staying in hospital
- looking after children
- other health problems such as diabetes, problems with your lungs, heart problems and being overweight
You can ask your nurses to tell your visitors that they can only stay with you for a short time. Don’t feel bad if you have to do this. You need a lot of rest and your friends and family will understand.
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Talking With Your Care Team About Insomnia And Fatigue
If you’re experiencing insomnia or fatigue, your care team can help you figure out what’s causing your symptoms and rule out other possible diagnoses.
Before your next appointment, write down your activities and symptoms in a notebook or journal. The information you write in your journal can help guide the conversation with your team. Here are some things to include:
- Write down your sleeping, eating, and exercise habits, as well as any emotional changes since diagnosis and the beginning of treatment.
- Track daily changes in fatigue or insomnia. Do symptoms vary throughout the day, or over a period of days? Do they happen on or after treatment days? Is there an increase in symptoms after physical activity or other events?
- Rate how tired you feel on a scale of 0 to 10 .
- Be as descriptive as possible so your team can find the best ways to help. Describe problems falling asleep, staying asleep, waking too early, or being unable to fall back asleep.
- Write down any over-the-counter sleep aids you might be taking.
- Make sure to mention pain or shortness of breath during exercise.
When you see your care team, share what you’ve tracked in your journal. Let them know the ways that insomnia or fatigue are interfering with your life and daily activities. You and your team will work together to find ways to manage your symptoms.
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