Posttreatment Considerations
This section is for patients who have had no cancer treatment for at least 6
months. The causes of fatigue are different for patients who are receiving therapy compared to those who have completed therapy. Also, the treatment for
fatigue may be different for patients who are no longer receiving treatment for
cancer.
Fatigue in people who have completed treatment for cancer and who are
considered to be disease-free is a different condition than the fatigue
experienced by patients receiving therapy. Fatigue may significantly affect
the quality of life of cancer survivors. Studies show that some patients
continue to have moderate-to-severe fatigue for up to 18 years after bone
marrow transplantation. Long-term therapies such as tamoxifen can also cause
fatigue. Fatigue can cause poor school performance years later in children who
were treated for brain tumors and cured. Long-term follow-up care is important
for patients after cancer therapy. Physical causes should be ruled out when
trying to determine the cause of fatigue in cancer survivors.
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