Barbara F. Piper, DNSC, RN, AOCN, FAAN

The Lesage and Portenoy article fulfills several important purposes. First, the authors remind us of the critical need to become more systematic and diligent in assessing and monitoring fatigue, a potentially debilitating symptom that is now recognized as the most common adverse effect experienced by cancer patients undergoing active treatment.[1] In the assessment of fatigue, the authors acknowledge that "the gold standard of evaluation is the patient’s self-report."

Fatigue is a common and troubling symptom in patients with cancer or HIV/AIDS, resulting in significant disability and adverse effects on quality of life. Its etiology remains complex and is most likely multifactorial. Despite its