Breast Cancer-Related Fatigue Can Impact Your Balance
According to a recent study, persistent cancer-related fatigue (CRF) seems to affect balance, independent of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms.
Cancer Fatigue
Cancer-related fatigue is the most common side effect of cancer treatment. The American Cancer Society estimates between 80% and 100% of cancer patients experience fatigue.
As a result of cancer fatigue, individuals constantly feel exhausted and even a good night’s sleep doesn’t help.
Cancer fatigue can last for weeks, months, or years and may even continue after you finish your treatment. There are several factors that can cause cancer fatigue including:
- Effects of cancer itself
- Cancer treatment: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, etc.
- Anemia (low blood counts)
- Pain
- Prolonged extremes of emotion
- Lack of sleep
- Poor nutrition
- Lack of exercise
Balance Problems
Another typical side effect that can occur after breast cancer treatment are balance issues. In addition to having difficulty walking and balancing, many people find it hard to move as they did before treatment, which increases their risk of falling.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is the pain or discomfort caused by damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Damage to those nerves can affect how the body sends signals to muscles, joints, skin, and internal organs causing pain, tingling, and numbness.
Neuropathy caused by chemotherapy is the main cause of balance issues and other physical problems among breast cancer patients.
The Research Behind the Study
The study included 43 women between the ages of 30 and 85 who had been diagnosed with stage I to stage III breast cancer. All the women had finished their chemo treatment about 3.5 years before joining the study.
The researchers performed physical function tests on the women. These tests included simple tasks such as balancing on one leg and standing up from a sitting position repeatedly. Researchers measured how much the women swayed, if any, after each test. The degree of swaying revealed the severity of balance issues the women had.
Women were asked to complete a survey asking if they had fatigue and how severe it was. The average fatigue score was 43.15, about 54% of the women had neuropathy in their feet. On a scale of 1 to 6, the average severity was 2.3.
“Our results…indicate that [cancer-related fatigue], even several years following exposure to chemotherapy, may distinctly influence balance independent of a patient’s [chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy] status,” explain the researchers. “This finding is important since persistent [cancer-related fatigue] affects up to 30% of individuals well beyond one year following completion of primary cancer treatment.”
What This Means
The study’s findings are concerning; however, they are important for anyone who has received chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Even if you don’t have neuropathy, you may experience balance issues if you have fatigue-like symptoms. You might experience even worse balance during physical tasks such as climbing stairs or walking for long periods of time.
Activities you can do to help improve your balance include:
- Yoga
- Light exercise to improve balance
- Acupuncture
- Working with a physical therapist or trainer
Learn more about cancer fatigue and how to cope here.
