The Experience of Cancer-Related Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A 
Qualitative and Comparative Study

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007 May 31; [Epub ahead of print]

Bennett B, Goldstein D, Friedlander M, Hickie I, Lloyd A.
Affiliations: Department of Medical Oncology (B.B., D.G., M.F.), Prince of 
Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia, The Brain and Mind Research Institute 
(I.H.), University of Sydney, Australia, and the School of Medical Sciences 
(A.L.), University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia.

NLM Citation: PMID: 17544246


Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and disabling symptom complex 
reported by survivors. This study aimed to better understand the 
manifestations of CRF in women treated for breast cancer, and to compare 
them with those of women diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Women with CRF persisting 6 months after treatment for early stage breast 
cancer, and women with CFS participated in separate, audiotaped focus 
groups. Transcripts of the sessions were analyzed using the NUD*IST 
software, and interpreted using grounded theory. Twenty-eight women 
participated, 16 with CRF and 12 with CFS.

Analysis of transcripts from both groups revealed a similar core set of 
symptoms, featuring fatigue, neurocognitive difficulties, and mood 
disturbances. Women with CFS reported additional symptoms including 
musculoskeletal pain and influenza-like manifestations. Both groups 
suffered disabling behavioral consequences of the symptom complex.

Qualitatively, CRF appears closely related to CFS. These findings raise the 
emergent hypothesis of a conserved neurobehavioral symptom complex, which 
results from diverse triggering insults.