The Experience of Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients 1–12 Month Post-Chemotherapy: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The study explored the experience of fatigue, its effects and ways of coping with fatigue and the role of family and social support among breast cancer patients. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 breast cancer patients stages I-III, aged 34-67, who were up to one year after the termination of chemotherapy. Two main themes emerged: "Being imprisoned in the body of an 80-year-old," focuses the fatigue experienced by younger and older women, during and post treatment, including the different patterns of fatigue and the various means of coping with fatigue; The "Family's bear-hug" exemplifies the role of the environment in coping with the experience of fatigue and the complexities entailed in receiving support from family and friends. The study provides a comprehensive picture of fatigue in its various contexts during and post-treatment and its impact on family relations and quality of life among younger and older breast cancer patients.

Stability and change of postchemotherapy symptoms in relation to optimism and subjective stress: A prospective study of breast cancer survivors

“…Survivors, in turn, should receive clear explanations on this subject and understand that their feelings of fatigue will most likely continue for a long period of time and continue to affect their functioning and quality of life. Previous studies indicated survivors' surprise when their extreme fatigue continues—they clearly had not been prepared for this situation . Although many studies have discussed the role of optimistic perceptions and perceived stress in emotional distress, the current study supports the few studies that have shown that these factors are also related to fatigue levels and cognitive difficulties .…”

Experiencing and responding to chronic cancer‐related fatigue: A meta‐ethnography of qualitative research

“…For example, the third‐order construct (mis)recognition encompassed both misrecognition and recognition. Thematic analysis started by listing constructs in conceptual categories of the most recently published and conceptually rich paper . T.B.…”

“…and R.W. independently listed the first‐order and second‐order constructs of four different papers . Subsequently, the construct list of these papers was compare to reach consensus, creating a final list with which the other papers were inductively analysed.…”

“…Several qualitative studies have examined patients' experiences with fatigue in different cancer populations. For example, Levkovich et al conducted interviews amongst breast cancer patients after chemotherapy and two main themes emerged: “Being imprisoned in the body of an 80‐year‐old” and “Family's bear‐hug” …”

Effects of Exercise During or Postchemotherapy in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

“…Chemotherapy is helpful for improving survival, while it may also cause adverse consequences in quality of life (QOL; Brahmer et al., ; Quinten et al., ; Udupa, Rajendranath, & Sagar, ; Zietarska, Krawczyk‐Lipiec, Kraj, Zaucha, & Malgorzewicz, ), fatigue (Levkovich, Cohen, & Karkabi, ; Sette et al., ; Vardy et al., ), depression (Bergerot, Mitchell, Ashing, & Kim, ; Bhattacharyya, Bhattacherjee, Mandal, & Das, ; Zhang, Zhou, Feng, Xu, & Zeng, ), anxiety (Charalambous, Kaite, Charalambous, Tistsi, & Kouta, ; Papadopoulou et al., ), body composition (Palmela et al., ; Rier et al., ), and physical functioning (Miaskowski et al., ; Timilshina, Breunis, Tomlinson, Brandwein, & Alibhai, ). Many non‐pharmacological interventions are proposed to prevent or reduce these adverse consequences (Can, Erol, Aydiner, & Topuz, ) and accumulating evidence implies that exercise may effectively reduce side effects caused by chemotherapy (Meneses‐Echavez, Gonzalez‐Jimenez, & Ramirez‐Velez, ).…”