Table 1.
Reviews on cancer related fatigue.
| Review | Mücke [19] | Yennurajalingam [1] | Qu [21] | Mustian [10] | Tomlinson [20] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time, until | April 2014 | June 2014 | July 2014 | May 2016 | May 2017 |
| Type | Systematic review, MA | Narrative review | Systematic review, MA | Systematic review, MA | Systematic review, MA |
| Inclusion criteria | RCTs of adults in palliative care (cancer, non-cancer) |
RCTs of adults in palliative care (cancer, non-cancer) |
RCTs of adults with cancer |
RCTs of adults with cancer | RCTs and quasi-RCTs, patients with cancer or recipients of HSCT |
| Cancer stage | Advanced /metastatic |
All stages | All stages | All stages | All stages |
| Objective | To compare effect of pharmacological treatment of fatigue to control interventions |
To review pharmacological interventions for CRF. |
To examine the effect and safety of Methylphenidate and Modafinil in treatment of CRF | To compare effect of exercise, psychological, a combination thereof, or pharmacological interventions |
To compare effect of pharmacological treatment of fatigue to control interventions |
| Outcome | Fatigue severity + change | Fatigue severity (CRF) | Fatigue severity (CRF) | Fatigue severity (CRF) | Fatigue severity + change |
| Included studies/subjects | 45/4696 | 18/2855 | 10/1582 | 113/11 525 | 117/19 819 |
| Palliative studies (cancer) |
40% | Not reported (narrative) |
Not reported | 10% metastatic, 30% mixed |
17% |
| Conclusions regarding pharmacological interventions | Methylphenidate may be advantageous. Too little evidence for corticosteroids. Not enough evidence to support use of specific drug. |
Adheres to guidelines (2014). Recommends future research with more personalized interventions. |
Methylphenidate but not Modafinil reduced CRF and may be beneficial for the treatment of CRF. | Exercise, psychological intervention + their combination reduces CRF. As a group, pharmaceutical interventions are not effective during and after cancer treatment. | As a group, stimulants were not effective. Methylphenidate improved fatigue, while Modafinil and corticosteroids did not. |
Abbreviations: MA: meta-analysis, RCT: randomized controlled trial, CRF: cancer related fatigue.