A trial of telephone support for people with tiredness (fatigue) caused by chemotherapy

This trial tested a telephone support service to help people with moderate to severe chemotherapy related tiredness (fatigue).

Fatigue is a very common side effect of chemotherapy. Many people find that they become more tired as their treatment goes on. Fatigue can be distressing and affect people’s quality of life.

Researchers have been looking at treating cancer related fatigue using teaching and support. People who had this type of help from nurses found that their fatigue improved. Researchers also found that talking to people individually was more successful than talking in groups.

In this trial, researchers looked at telephone support. The trial was in 2 parts. The 1st part looked at what a small group of patients and health care professionals thought about cancer nurses using the telephone to contact people, and support them in their homes. The 2nd part tested the support service.

The researchers hoped that telephone support would improve quality of life and reduce feelings of fatigue, anxiety and depression. The aim of the trial was to test how well the support plan worked to reduce chemotherapy related fatigue