Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
intimacy and view the person holistically with individual desires,
needs, attitudes and behaviours.
Section 4: Physical Issues
Changes to physical appearance from the effects of cancer and its
treatment can have a significant effect on patients. The following
section will reflect on the impact of the physical issues that patients
experienced as they progressed through their chemotherapy; these
include fatigue and dietary and sensory needs. Various strategies
will be explored from the literature to help nurses to identify and
support their patients with these issues as they progress through
their treatment trajectory.
Fatigue
Fatigue continues to be for the greater part a socially invisible
consequence of cancer, the experience of which is far more complex
than simply a lack of visibility (Thorne 1993). It has a profound
effect on an individual’s ability to live a normal life. All aspects of
life may be affected, forcing withdrawal from family, work, social
and recreational activities. It was certainly seen by most patients in
this study as an issue for them during their chemotherapy
treatment.
When asked to document any other comments on the DDCs or
when asked to add any other information during their interviews,
most of the patients reported issues related to quality of life. Of
these, fatigue was reported by most of them as being a problem at
some stage of their chemotherapy treatment. This is not new as it is
considered one of the most frequently reported symptoms in
patients with cancer and as a consequence of anti-cancer treatment
(Stone et al 2000). A number of theories have been put forward to
explain chronic fatigue though as yet no conclusive explanation
exists. For example, one theory is that fatigue is caused by an
accumulation of waste products and metabolites (Corner 2002).
Simple everyday tasks such as personal care, walking, caring for
their home, cooking and eating can become an uphill struggle for
patients with cancer. This was mentioned in some of the comments
on the DDCs: ‘I can’t do my housework or cook like I used too, I get
so tired’. This is a side effect which is often not seen by clinicians as
being as important as other symptoms such as pain. Stone et al
(2000) found that fatigue affects more patients for more of the time
than any other symptom and is regarded by patients as being more
important than pain, nausea or vomiting.
Little attention has been paid to assessing the value of specific
interventions for managing fatigue. Activity pacing, goal setting,
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