Episode 34: Managing fatigue related to breast cancer treatments

Upfront About Breast Cancer

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Let’s be Upfront about managing fatigue related to breast cancer treatments. Fatigue is a common side effect of treatments related to breast cancer, particular chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Fatigue doesn’t always go away with rest and sleep and may last for months after treatment is finished, and for people with metastatic breast cancer, lifelong treatment means fatigue associated with treatments can be ongoing.

Joining us for this episode of Upfront is Kathy Wells, Kathryn Wallace and Rina Portet. Kathy is a long-time BCNA staff member who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of January 2021. At the time of recording, Kathy has had five months of chemotherapy treatment followed by breast conserving surgery, with radiotherapy still to come. Rina was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2014 when she was pregnant with her 3rd child, who is now 6.5 years old. Rina had treatment while pregnant and has continued treatment since.

Kathryn Wallace is an experienced Specialist Breast Care Nurse having spent over 25 years in a variety of settings supporting people affected by breast cancer diagnosis. Her roles have been diverse and comprehensive, providing support and education in acute clinical settings, private practice, non-for-profit organisations and working closely with GPs to improve links between primary health care providers and clinical specialists.

We hear about Kathy’s and Rina’s personal experience with fatigue associated with breast cancer treatment, and helpful advice and strategies they’ve both used on their journey to help manage their fatigue from their differing experiences. We also learn about the key causes of fatigue, the differences in breast cancer treatments can contribute to fatigue and what you can speak about with your treatment team to identify the right treatment to help you manage your own experience.

RESOURCES:

•Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on fatigue

•Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

•Find an accredited exercise physiologist- ESSA, www.essa.org.au/

•Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) resource on “Follow-up of survivors with cancer-related fatigue”

•“Breast Cancer and exercise” fact sheet – Exercise is Medicine Australia 2014

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by Cancer Australia.

Want to get in touch? Visit our website at bcna.org.au, email us at [e-mail], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258