SynthesisSchmerz (Berlin, Germany)2012
[Glucocorticoids and androgens for treatment of tiredness and weakness in palliative care patients : a systematic review].
Synthesis in Schmerz (Berlin, Germany), 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related fatigue in adults with advanced cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Cyclodextrin-Based Nanohydrogels Containing Polyamidoamine Units: A New Dexamethasone Delivery System for Inflammatory Diseases.Gels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe therapy of tiredness, weakness and fatigue in palliative care patients is of growing interest. Glucocorticoids and androgens are habitually mentioned drugs for treatment. In this review evidence for glucocorticoids and androgens for these indications in palliative care patients are presented. MATERIALS AND
methodsA systematic search of PubMed and Embase for studies on glucocorticoids and androgens for fatigue, asthenia, sedation, tiredness, weakness, exhaustion, cachexia, drowsiness and wasting in palliative care was carried out in August 2011. Furthermore, the Cochrane Library, references from the literature and leading textbooks were also searched. Study information was entered in a standardized extraction sheet. By a categorization of studies five endpoints were distinguished: fatigue, strength/weakness, tiredness, well being/quality of life and energy/activity/performance.
resultsA total of 11 controlled studies with glucocorticoids and 13 controlled studies with androgens were included. In addition four uncontrolled studies, two case series and two surveys with glucocorticoids as well as six uncontrolled studies and one case series with androgen treatment were analyzed. All controlled trials of glucocorticoids were performed in cancer patients and all but one controlled trial of androgens in patients with HIV/AIDS. Glucocorticoids improved quality of life but results for changes of fatigue and weakness were inconsistent. Tiredness and energy were not improved. Androgens had a positive effect on fatigue and quality of life and showed variable effects on weakness. Androgens did not improve energy. Side effects were frequently documented but only rarely resulted in discontinuation of therapy.
conclusionWith the existing evidence no general recommendation for glucocorticoid and androgen use in tiredness and weakness in palliative care patients can be given; however, glucocorticoids in cancer patients and androgens in HIV positive-patients can be used in an individual trial for improving patient quality of life. The use in patients suffering from other disease entities should be evaluated in randomized controlled trials with a similar setting. The English full text version of this article will be available in SpringerLink as of November 2012 (under "Supplemental").
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.