What is known about psychosocial interventions?
Psychosocial interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and stress management have been shown to reduce cancer-related fatigue. Prior to this study it was unknown if or how the effect of these interventions differed according to patient characteristics.
What is new?
This project analysed results from fourteen previous studies that evaluated the effect of these interventions in cancer patients. Among those who participated in psychosocial interventions, fatigue was slightly reduced among women with non-metastatic breast cancer and men with non-metastatic prostate cancer.
The effect of psychosocial interventions on cancer-related fatigue was not associated with sociodemographic or clinical characteristics, or with the extent of symptoms (fatigue, pain) prior to intervention.
Breast cancer patients with clinically-diagnosed fatigue benefited most from interventions aimed specifically at reducing fatigue, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
What does this mean?
Psychosocial interventions can be effective in reducing cancer-related fatigue across subgroups of non-metastatic breast or prostate cancer patients, irrespective of individual characteristics.
Contact: Joanne Aitken
Reference: Abrahams HJG, Knoop H, Schreurs M, Aaronson NK, Jacobsen PB, Newton RU, Courneya KS, Aitken JF, Arving C, Brandberg Y, Chambers SK, Gielissen MF, Glimelius B, Goedendorp MM, Graves KD, Heiney SPH, R., Hunter MS, Johansson B, Northouse LL, Oldenburg HS, Prins JB, Savard J, van Beurden M, van den Berg SW, Verdonck-de Leeuw IM, Buffart LM. Moderators of the effect of psychosocial interventions on fatigue in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer: individual patient data meta-analyses. Psycho-Oncology. 2020; 29(11):1772-1785.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the Research snapshot – Psychosocial interventions and cancer-related fatigue Abrahams 2020. We constantly work hard to update our website to have the most up-to-date and relevant information possible.
Make sure to bookmark Cancer Council Queensland website in your preferred browser to stay up-to-date.