Implications for practice and research

• Well documented among patients with cancer, fatigue can also be a debilitating symptom among individuals living with non-cancer conditions.

• Research to examine the efficacy of non-pharmacological treatments for fatigue in chronically ill patients with non-cancer conditions may provide insight into assessment and management strategies that improve quality of life.

Context

Fatigue is reported as the principal concern in 5%–10% of primary care visits and a further 10% of family practice consultations. In the broader community, 5%–20% of the general population experience fatigue and almost half report its presence 1 year later.1 The majority of individuals with cancer experience fatigue (59%–100%), depending on disease progression and/or treatment regimes.2 While 80% of individuals living with fatigue rate it as significant to …