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Comment & Response
March 2018

Difficulties in Defining and Measuring Cancer-Related Fatigue—Reply

Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
  • 2Psychosocial and Behavioral Medicine, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
JAMA Oncol. 2018;4(3):419-420. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.3358

In Reply In the spirit of science and patient-centered care, we refute Berk’s claims.

First, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is real. Cancer patients’ direct reports of lived experiences are critical in treatment decision making. Patients are the unique source for determining when CRF is present and when it is getting better or worse.1,2 Suggesting that CRF is not real is equivalent to trivializing such adverse effects as nausea or pain.

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