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Rest and sleep are two important ways cancer patients can fight fatigue.
Both are important, but within limits. Too much rest can actually decrease a person’s energy level. To achieve balance, it is recommended that patients:
- Take short, frequent rests (no more than 30 minutes) throughout the day, rather than one long nap
- Follow a nap with an activity or quick exercise
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar before bed to ensure a good night’s rest
 Patient Power: Fatigue & the Cancer Patient (37:41)
Fatigue occurs in up to 90% of cancer patients due to aggressive treatment, stress and lack of sleep. Symptoms can be physical or be involved with cognitive thinking, but new therapies may help. (June 2008)
Download / Listen
 Fatigue & Cancer: Dealing with Cancer-Related Fatigue (14:23)
(February 2008)
Cancer Newsline: Ritalin to Fight Fatigue (1:52)
At M. D. Anderson, studies have shown that Ritalin eases cancer patients' fatigue without causing adverse side effects. (Spring 2004)
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For Physicians & Scientists
The Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI): a tool to rapidly assess the severity and impact of cancer-related fatigue. An increasing focus on cancer-related fatigue emphasized the need for sensitive tools to assess this most frequently reported symptom. The six inventory items correlate with standard quality of life measures.
Symptom Research: M. D. Anderson's Department of Symptom Research is at the forefront of discovering new ways of assessing and managing the symptoms of cancer and its treatment, and identifying the mechanisms that cause these symptoms. | 
