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Symptoms: Fatigue and Cognitive Dysfunction

  • Chapter
Improving Outcomes for Breast Cancer Survivors

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((BCRF,volume 862))

Abstract

Fatigue and cognitive complaints commonly occur during adjuvant chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer. Fatigue is also associated with radiation therapy, and can occur with surgery alone. Both of these symptoms may persist beyond the initial treatment of breast cancer and they have taken on greater prominence with the growing number of breast cancer survivors. These symptoms are most troublesome when patients try to resume their pre-illness activities (e.g., work, household responsibilities) and find that they are limited. Recovery may take months to years, but in some women these symptoms persist indefinitely and can be very distressing. In this chapter we review what is known about the etiology and biology of these two common symptoms, discuss potential interventions, and describe future research challenges.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Julienne E. Bower

  2. UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Patricia A. Ganz

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  1. Julienne E. Bower
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  2. Patricia A. Ganz
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Correspondence to Julienne E. Bower .

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  1. Distinguished Professor of Health Policy & Management and Medicine, Director, Cancer Prevention & Control Research, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Patricia A. Ganz

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Bower, J.E., Ganz, P.A. (2015). Symptoms: Fatigue and Cognitive Dysfunction. In: Ganz, P. (eds) Improving Outcomes for Breast Cancer Survivors. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 862. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16366-6_5

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