The program sponsors meetings and educational sessions for patients and health care professionals and last year established a Fatigue Awareness Week, to be held each April to bring attention to fatigue problems and solutions. Begun six months ago, the Fatigue Clinic is open two half days per week and draws on members of many disciplines for consultation. It is expected to expand to full-time operation. Many patients need a nutritionist to help them plan meals that will inspire them to eat when they don't feel like eating. Although there is evidence that mild exercise, like walking, is helpful in combating not only fatigue but also depression, many patients need some coaching on how to exercise when physicial activity seems beyond their ability.
Drugs can also help patients manage anemia.
Rehabilitation, occupational, and physical therapists are at times consulted for modifications to rou-tine activities of daily living that help conserve energy. A rolling stool in the kitchen, a seat in the shower, a rolling walker for support, and a person to help with daily chores are solutions that patients with fatigue find useful. Such nonpharmacologic interventions as relaxation exercises, meditation, and self-hypnosis are also used to help patients to relieve stress and better cope with fatigue, according to Dr. Thorpe. Internet Sites Promote Fatigue Awareness Health professionals can find additional information about cancer-related fatigue on the World Wide Web. The National Cancer Institute sponsors PDQ, a 1.3 million-record database, which includes this review of fatigue.