Severe disability and fatigue are two characteristics shared by both cancer and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Immune dysfunction is a major hallmark of both types of illness.
As a matter of fact the various types of immune dysfunction found in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and cancer demonstrate significant overlap.
There is an apparent link between the various types of immune dysfunction and the debilitating fatigue experienced in both types of illness. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and cancer show abnormalities in natural killer cells.
Reduced activity of natural killer cells is significant in both types of illness. Both illnesses indicate lowered natural killer cell cytotoxicity and high oxidative stress.
Prostate cancer and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome share abnormalities in hyperactivation of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kappaB) and in ribonuclease L (RNase L).
"These anomalies may be part of the physiopathology of some of the common complaints, such as fatigue. Further studies to confirm the hypotheses given here are warranted."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20032425