Around 80 women aged 18–60 will take part in the research, split into two groups: those who have completed breast cancer treatment within the past two years and experience fatigue, and a control group of healthy women of similar age. Each participant will attend a three-hour session involving questionnaires, gentle perception tests, short physical tasks, and saliva sampling to measure immune responses.
By comparing the two groups, the researchers hope to discover whether people living with cancer-related fatigue perceive and interpret physical signals differently both at rest and during a light exercise.
Dr Jeanne Dekerle, Principal Investigator and sports physiologist at the University of Brighton said: “Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most distressing, frustrating and least understood side effects of cancer treatment. We want to understand why it affects some patients more than others, and how this influences their ability to be active. If we can understand the brain’s role in fatigue, we can help people recover faster, feel more energetic, and live more fully after cancer.”
Dr Dekerle’s research builds on her ongoing work into fatigue and interoception – the awareness of internal bodily signals. Unlike pain, which can often be treated with medication, fatigue is a more complex, subjective experience with no single cause or cure.
By focusing on the brain’s interpretation of bodily feedback, the project aims to uncover new biological mechanisms that could eventually guide targeted, personalised treatments.
The project brings together expertise across cancer, neuroscience, physiology and immunology, including oncologists, immunologist, brain–body medicine specialists and clinical researchers based at the University of Brighton, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
The SCRC plays a vital role in connecting these partners and ensuring that patient voices remain at the heart of the research. By working closely with patients and clinicians, the SCRC helps translate research findings into better care, improved recovery, and more equitable outcomes for those affected by cancer.
Professor Melanie Flint, Professor of Stress and Cancer Research at the University of Brighton and Co-Director of the SCRC, said: “This project represents exactly what the SCRC stands for – bringing together scientists, clinicians, and patients to understand cancer from every angle. Fatigue can have a huge impact on recovery and wellbeing and understanding the biological and neurological factors behind it is a vital step towards improving care for survivors.”
Steve Crocker, Trustee and Research Lead at the Sussex Cancer Fund, said: "At the Sussex Cancer Fund, we’re committed to supporting research that directly benefits patients here in Sussex. Fatigue after cancer treatment is one of the most common and yet least understood challenges people face. By helping to fund this important study, we hope to shed light on the biological causes behind it and develop practical ways to support patients. This research has the potential to improve the everyday quality of life for patients."
The team hope that their findings will help shape future interventions – such as more personalised exercise or rehabilitation programmes – designed to reduce fatigue and improve recovery for breast cancer survivors. They also hope that the study will lay the foundation for larger-scale clinical trials exploring how to help survivors regain energy and confidence in the months and years after treatment.
This project reflects the University of Brighton’s commitment to tackling real-world health challenges through collaboration. By bringing together researchers, clinicians and patients, the team is combining scientific insight with lived experience in the hope of improving recovery and quality of life for people living beyond cancer.