Fatigue in cancer: a phenomenological perspective

An understanding of the fatigue experience for cancer patients who had recently completed a course of chemotherapy and the use of phenomenology have implications for the nursing profession's knowledge base and for clinical practice.

Abstract

Fatigue is a frequently encountered symptom in cancer populations. This study aimed to describe the experience of fatigue from the perspective of cancer patients who had recently completed a course of chemotherapy. A phenomenological method was used. The themes which emerged from the data indicated both a shared and individual experience of fatigue. These incorporated: the nature of fatigue; the causes, consequences, strategies for coping with fatigue; and the trajectory of the fatigue experience. Issues arising from the nature of phenomenological inquiry and the research were also elicited from this study. An understanding of the fatigue experience for this population and the use of phenomenology have implications for the nursing profession's knowledge base and for clinical practice.