Home > Services > Living with and beyond cancer > Managing physical consequences of cancer and cancer treatment > Fatigue

On this page:

What is Cancer related fatigue? 

Cancer related fatigue is more than ‘just feeling a bit tired’ it is a physical, emotional and mental exhaustion related to cancer or it’s many treatments. People have described it as  

“not the kind of tiredness you can just sleep off” 

If you experience fatigue, you are not alone, it can affect up to 90% of people with cancer.  

What causes fatigue? 

There are many different causes of fatigue, including the cancer itself, cancer treatments (for example chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy and targeted therapies), anaemia (a low level of red blood cells), poor nutrition, poor sleep, emotional distress, pain and other symptoms that can be experienced by people with cancer. 

What do people experience? 

Everyone’s experience of fatigue is different. People can feel a range of different things, affecting their body, mind and emotions. Such as muscle weakness, having difficulty concentrating and perhaps feeling irritable, or just not like themselves. 

Managing fatigue 

Talk to your team about your symptoms. They will help to understand if your fatigue is related to any treatable causes (such as anaemia) or medications that can be altered to relieve your symptoms. 

We deliver a cancer related fatigue workshop to support people to learn about different ways to manage their symptoms. This workshop is delivered both on-line or face to face in the Macmillan information and support centre.  

To attend please follow this QR Code  or contact the Macmillan information centre to reserve a place 

Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centre – St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 

020 8725 2677 

Cancer.information@stgeorges.nhs.uk 

Self-management techniques 

Eating well  

A healthy balanced diet can help to give your body the fuel it needs. Eating well won’t cure fatigue, but it can make a difference in how you feel day to day. Cutting down on sugar can help to prevent the drop in energy levels that happen after the sugar wears off. Please see the HEALTHY EATING section for further information. 

Managing energy levels 

Using strategies to manage your energy levels can be helpful to maintain control of your day-to-day activities. Different people find different strategies helpful, you may benefit from trying a variety of things until you have developed your personalised ‘toolkit’. 

The 5 P’s 

  • Pacing: Try to avoid rushing, balance your activity with rest, taking frequent breaks can help. 
  • Prioritisation: Decide which activities are of most value to you and cut out any unnecessary tasks. 
  • Posture: Energy can be lost through poor posture. Sitting or standing with poor posture causes our muscles to work harder to hold us up. This extra effort can make muscles tired.  
  • Planning: Plan your day and your week to space activities out and avoid unnecessary repetition of journeys. Try to break down larger tasks into more manageable tasks. 
  • Permission: Allow yourself to say “no” to things that you feel you ‘should’ do but don’t ‘need to. Be kind to yourself and delegate tasks to other people. 

The Spoon Theory 

Imagine your energy was measured in spoons, and you started each day with a set number of spoons. Every activity you do will use up a set number of spoons, for example getting dressed might be one spoon. Using this theory, you can plan what activities you do according to how many spoons you have available. #

People have told us they find it a helpful way to describe their energy to loved ones, “I can’t go to the shops today as I only have two spoons left and I need them for making dinner”. 

Physical Activity  

It might sound strange, but research has shown that being active can help you to feel less fatigued. Light physical activity can improve your circulation, boosting your energy, help you to sleep, strengthen your muscles and improve your mood. 

It is important you start being active slowly and gently. Listen to your body and rest when you need to.  For further information and resources please see the PHYSICAL ACTIVITY section. 

Sleep 

Sleeping well can contribute to physical health, emotional wellbeing, improved energy level. Please see the SLEEP content for advice and guidance on how to improve the quality of your sleep following a cancer diagnosis. 

Stress management  

Stress can increase the experience of fatigue. Please see the STRESS content for advice and guidance on self-management of stress. 

Resources  

Further information on fatigue can be found on the Macmillan website Tiredness (fatigue) and cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support 

Films

Audiobook 

Coping with fatigue audiobook | Macmillan Cancer Support