Patients
breast cancer, anemia, CRF, Fatigue, Cancer
BREAST CANCER, CRF, ANEMIA, METASTASES, CANCER
The patients were recruited through local newspapers, through physicians who contacted their patients, and some patients contacted the study centers on their own accord. After the study was explained to them, each patient signed an informed consent form.Patients’ eligibility was defined according to the following inclusion criteria:Female with breast cancer at the age of 18–75 years, diagnosis of chronic CRF of at least 6 months (Fatigue Numerical Scale (FNS) ≥ 4, Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS-D) ≥ 24) with a history of a maximum of 36 months since the end of adjuvant therapy (operation, chemo- or radiotherapy) and a maximum of 45 months after the first diagnosis.The major exclusion criteria were the following:metastases, (radio-) chemotherapy or surgery in the last 6 months, anemia (hemoglobin < 10 mg/dl), other severe chronic conditions (see in detail