A fatigue clinic in a comprehensive cancer center: design and experiences.
Cancer-related fatigue is now the most prevalent symptom of cancer, occurring in 60-90% of patients. Fatigue has been identified by cancer patients as a factor influencing functionality and quality of life. Our objectives in developing a fatigue specialty clinic at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center were to improve our patients' quality of life by decreasing fatigue; educate health care providers, patients, and patients' families about cancer-related fatigue; develop an appropriate clinical and diagnostic evaluation for this symptom; correlate objective measures of fatigue with its clinical evaluation; and develop innovative treatment plans for cancer-related fatigue. This article describes the general clinic design and operations and the preliminary analysis of the first 40 patients evaluated in the fatigue clinic.
Escalante
C P
CP
Department of General Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. cescalan@mdacc.tmc.edu
Grover
T
T
Johnson
B A
BA
Harle
M
M
Guo
H
H
Mendoza
T R
TR
Rivera
E
E
Ho
V
V
Lee
E L
EL
Cleeland
C S
CS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration