Radio
Cancer Treatment Fatigue
Source: NBN/ CP RadioWire
Aug 14, 2003, 10:05

Six out of 10 cancer patients say that during treatment fatigue significantly impacts their daily lives. A consensus statement by the National Institutes of Health recognizes this and strongly recommends treatment to improve symptom management.  A medicine called Procrit is a widely used treatment for chemotherapy-related anemia, one of the causes of fatigue in cancer patients.  With proper symptom management, patients with cancer cannot only live longer, but better.   Doctor David Cella, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University: 

�There is no reason today why any cancer patient should suffer from debilitating symptoms like pain and fatigue or from chemotherapy-related side effects, such as anemia.  And this NIH statement affirms the importance of treating these conditions.  Patients should talk to their doctor about all of their symptoms, whether cancer- or treatment-related so the doctor can take the appropriate steps to help them do their normal activities.� 

Cancer survivor, Joan Sommer:

�When I realized my symptoms were not getting better on their own, I spoke to my doctor.  He diagnosed me with something called chemotherapy-related anemia and prescribed a medication Procrit.  In just a few weeks my energy began to return.  I was able to do the things that made me feel more like myself and less like a cancer patient.� 

To learn more about chemotherapy-related anemia, go to www-dot-procrit-dot com, or call 1-800-p-r-o-c-r-i-t.