Tumor Biology Center at the University of Freiburg, Department of Psychooncology, Breisacher Str. 117, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2011 Aug;11(4):441-6. doi: 10.1586/erp.11.44.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common symptoms reported by patients and is defined as the feeling of extraordinary exhaustion associated with a high level of distress, disproportionate to the patients' activity, and is not relieved by sleep or rest. Prevalence rates range from 59 to nearly 100% depending on the clinical status of the cancer. Except for chemotherapy-induced anemia, the mechanisms responsible for CRF are not yet completely understood. Therefore, CRF may be influenced by multiple possible somatic and psychosocial factors. CRF has been shown as either a short-term side effect of adjuvant cancer therapy or a chronic long-term late effect. Compared with other symptoms, such as pain or nausea, CRF is more distressing and often long lasting, with a strong impact on daily living and quality of life. The concept of fatigue has been widely elaborated and operationalized in different dimensions within the last few decades and specific instruments assessing fatigue in cancer populations have been developed. To support patients and alleviate CRF symptoms various treatment strategies are discussed in this article, including information and counseling, enhancement of activities, exercise and sports therapy, psychosocial interventions as well as pharmacological treatment. In most Western countries, treatment of CRF has been identified as a priority for advancing cancer patient care. This article gives an overview of the concept of CRF, its pathogenesis, assessment and treatment strategies.
癌症相关性乏力（CRF）是患者报告的最常见症状之一，定义为与高水平痛苦相关的异常疲惫感，与患者的活动不成比例，且无法通过睡眠或休息缓解。根据癌症的临床状况，患病率从 59%到近 100%不等。除了化疗引起的贫血外，CRF 的发病机制尚不完全清楚。因此，CRF 可能受到多种可能的躯体和心理社会因素的影响。CRF 被认为是辅助癌症治疗的短期副作用，或是慢性长期迟发性效应。与其他症状（如疼痛或恶心）相比，CRF 更令人痛苦，通常持续时间较长，对日常生活和生活质量有强烈影响。在过去几十年中，疲劳的概念在不同维度上得到了广泛的阐述和操作化，并且已经开发出用于评估癌症患者疲劳的特定工具。为了支持患者并减轻 CRF 症状，本文讨论了各种治疗策略，包括信息和咨询、活动增强、运动和体育疗法、心理社会干预以及药物治疗。在大多数西方国家，CRF 的治疗已被确定为推进癌症患者护理的优先事项。本文概述了 CRF 的概念、发病机制、评估和治疗策略。
