Introduction: Cancer-related fatigue profoundly affects the physical, psychosocial, and occupational aspects of both patients and their families, thereby it results in marked deterioration of the patient’s quality of life (QOL)^[1]. The prevalence of CRF has been estimated to be occurring in 50% to 90%  of cancer patients. This symptom has been found to be associated with sleep disorders, anemia, low performance status etc, due to its multifactorial associations many a times it is under-diagnosed, But if properly screened & treated it can drastically improve the quality of life in cancer patients.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate:

• The overall prevalence of fatigue in cancer patients in our tertiary care centre &
• To find out the co-relation of fatigue with age, gender, cancer stage, cancer site anemia, performance status, sleep disorders so that in future we can tailor the treatment of fatigue as per the underlying cause.

Results: Fatigue was strongly related to sleeplessness (P < 0.0001) reduced performance status and anemia with Hb< 9gm/dl (p< 0.02). However, CRF was not found to affiliated to any one gender or any particular age group.

Conclusions:  Prevalance of CANCER RELATED FATIGUE is around 66% in our centre Highly co-related with sleep disturbance.

Anemia as per Indian standards (Hb<9gm) is associated with CRF, Higher stage of disease portends higher CRF values, No gender or age bias was noted.

Keywords: Checklist individual strength (CIS), cancer related fatigue (CRF), sleeplessness, anemia.

1. Gupta D, Lis CG, Grutsch JF. The relationship between cancer-related fatigue and patient satisfaction with quality of life in cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 2007; 34:40.
2. Patients’ perception of cancer-related fatigue: results of a survey to assess the impact on their everyday life Nieves Díaz · Salvador Menjón · Christian Rolfo · PilarGarcía-Alonso · Joan Carulla · Ana Magro · José Miramón · César A. Rodríguez · Rous de Castellar · José A. Gasquet
3. Vercoulen JHMM, Swanink CMA, Fennis JFM, et al. Dimensional assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychosom Res 1994;38:383–92.
4. Vercoulen JHMM, Hommes OR, Swanink CMA,et al. The measurement of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: a multidimensional comparison with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy subjects. Arch Neurol 1996;53: 642–9.
5. Vercoulen JHMM, Swanink CMA, FennisJFM,et al. Prognosis in chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study on the natural course. J NeurolNeurosurg Psychiatry 1996;60: 489–94.
6. Vercoulen JHMM, Swanink CMA, Zitman FG, etal. Fluoxetine in chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled study.Lancet 1996;347:858–61.
7. Vercoulen JHMM, Alberts M, Bleijenberg G. The checklist individual strength (CIS).Gedragstherapie 1999;32:131–6.
8. Mock V, Atkinson A, Barsevick A et al. NCCN Practice Guidelines for Cancer-Related Fatigue. Oncology (Williston Park) 2000;14:151–161.
9. Groopman JE, Itri LM. Chemotherapy-induced anemia in adults: Incidence and treatment. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:1616–1634.
10. Glaspy J, Degos L, Dicato M et al. Comparable efficacy of epoetinalfa for anemic cancer patients receiving platinum- and nonplatinum-based che-motherapy: A retrospective subanalysis of two large, community-based trials. The Oncologist 2002;7:126–135.
11. Dicato M. Anemia in cancer: Some pathophysiological aspects. The Oncologist 2003;8(suppl 1):19–21.
12. Faquin WC, Schneider TJ, Goldberg MA. Effect of inflammatory cytokines on hypoxia-induced erythropoietin production. Blood 1992;79:1987–1994.
13. Jelkmann W, Wolff M, Fandrey J. Modulation of the production of eryth-ropoietin by cytokines: In vitro studies and their clinical implications. ContribNephrol 1990;87:68–77.
14. Bron D. Biological basis of cancer-related anaemia. In: Marty M, Pecorelli S, eds. Fatigue and Cancer. European School of Oncology Sci-entific Updates, 5. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2001:45–50.
15. Cox IM, Campbell MJ, Dowson D. Red blood cell magnesium and chronic fatigue syndrome. Lancet 1991;337:757–760.
16. Mercuriali F, Inghilleri G. Treatment of anaemia in cancer patients: Transfusion of rHuEPO. In: Marty M, Pecorelli S, eds. Fatigue and Can-cer. European School of Oncology Scientific Updates, 5. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2001:185–200
17. Bruera E, Brenneis C, Michaud M et al. Association between asthenia and nutritional status, lean body mass, anemia, psychological status, and tumor mass in patients with advanced breast cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 1989; 4: 59–63.
18. Geinitz H, Zimmermann FB, Stoll P et al. Fatigue, serum cytokine levels, and blood cell counts during radiotherapy of patients with breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2001; 51: 691–698.
19. Wang XS, Giralt SA, Mendoza TR et al. Clinical factors associated with cancer-related fatigue in patients being treated for leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J ClinOncol 2002; 20: 1319–1328
20. Mechanisms of Cancer-Related Fatigue Julie L. Ryan et al The Oncologist 2007;12(suppl 1):22–34

Sundaresan .C