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Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, affecting during therapy. For many, the exhaustion doesn’t fade when treatment ends – around report severe, long-term fatigue that can persist for months or even years. CRF can significantly limit quality of life, impair physical activity, mental health, and return to work.

Yet, despite its prevalence, the biological causes of CRF remain poorly understood, and existing treatments such as exercise programmes don’t work for everyone. That gap in understanding has left many survivors struggling without effective solutions.

Jeanne Dekerle

Researchers at the Â鶹´«Ã½’s School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences are now inviting women aged 18–60 to take part in a new study exploring whether the brain could be keeping fatigue switched on long after treatment has ended.

The new study, led by the Â鶹´«Ã½’s , funded by the and supported by the , is exploring how the brain and body communicate after breast cancer treatment.

The researchers are exploring the hypothesis that cancer and its treatments could change how the brain interprets signals from the body – such as heartbeat, temperature, and muscle exertion – potentially making everyday activities feel more tiring than they should.

In simple terms, the study questions whether the brain might be “turning up the volume” on fatigue signals, even when the body is physically capable. By understanding this brain–body connection, researchers hope to reveal why fatigue affects some women more severely than others – and why some may feel particularly fatigued during exercise. 

The research team is currently seeking:

• Women aged 18–60 who are in remission from breast cancer and experiencing fatigue, and

• Healthy women aged 18–60 to take part as a comparison group.

Participation involves a single three-hour visit to the Â鶹´«Ã½’s Falmer campus (with the option to split this into two shorter visits if preferred). The session includes:

• Questionnaires

• Simple, non-invasive perception and physical tasks

• A saliva sample to measure immune responses

The research aims to improve understanding of cancer-related fatigue and inform future care and rehabilitation strategies. By comparing women experiencing CRF with healthy participants, researchers hope to discover whether people living with cancer-related fatigue perceive and interpret physical signals differently, both at rest and during light exercise. 

The project brings together expertise across cancer, neuroscience, physiology and immunology, including oncologists, immunologist, brain–body medicine specialists and clinical researchers based at the Â鶹´«Ã½, the and .

How to take part

If you or someone you know may be interested in contributing to this important cancer research project in Sussex, further details are

To express interest or ask questions, please contact:
Rowan: CRFStudy@brighton.ac.uk : 01273 6413731