Breast Cancer Pain Related To Fatigue

Breast cancer pain and related psychological disorders may be related to fatigue after treatment, a new study reports.

Researchers looked at 59 women who were treated for breast cancer and analyzed their psychological and physical condition, including amount of pain, fatigue and level of depression. They found that 83 percent of breast cancer patients survive five years after being treated, but 66 of survivors experience fatigue following treatment.

«Cancer-related fatigue is the symptom that most limits quality of life and is most common in patients that survive cancerous processes,» said Manuel Arroyo of the University of Granada, lead author of the study, as quoted by UPI.

Even though the sample size was small, Arroyo says the statistical procedure the researchers used allowed them to draw conclusions similar to if the sample size had been larger.

«This method means that the data were more reliable and eliminated the problem of having a reduced sample size. It is difficult to find volunteers because patients are not often very willing to participate in research after having been through such harsh treatment,” said Arroyo, as quoted by UPI. «These findings should motivate patient support programs which improve their psychological condition and offer resources that can reduce pain.

«If fatigue is not treated, patients can suffer it for years, having a serious physical, emotional, social and economic impact.»

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