Disabled, invisible and dismissed—The lived experience of fatigue in people with myeloproliferative neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are rare haematological cancers. Several studies report the most common MPN symptom leading to reduced quality of life is fatigue. Yet, how fatigue affects the lives of people with MPN is not well described. AIMS: The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the lived experience of fatigue associated with MPN. METHODS AND RESULTS: People with MPN who had experienced fatigue were invited to complete an online survey and if eligible, then to participate in semi‐structured interviews and focus groups, exploring their experiences of fatigue. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts by two researchers produced themes describing the lived experience of fatigue. Twenty‐three people with MPN participated in seven interviews and four focus groups. Qualitative data revealed how fatigue significantly affected participants' experiences of functional, social, family and emotional wellbeing. Participants reported that fatigue was infrequently acknowledged or addressed by health professionals, and a lack of information or support to manage their fatigue. Four themes including 12 sub‐themes describe the experience of fatigue in MPN: (1) the distress of the MPN diagnosis, (2) sensations of fatigue, (3) daily life and emotional burden with fatigue and (4) how people managed their fatigue with limited guidance. CONCLUSION: Fatigue in MPN is common, debilitating and distressing. It affects all aspects of health, wellbeing and life. Health professionals could affect patients' lives substantially by acknowledging and understanding fatigue in MPN, including contributing factors and potential opportunities for management. More systematic data describing the causes and management of MPN fatigue is needed.