Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31836007›Full record

SynthesisSystematic reviews2019

The effectiveness of psychological interventions for fatigue in cancer survivors: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

T K Corbett, A Groarke, D Devane, E Carr, J C Walsh, B E McGuire

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Systematic reviews, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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  4. The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the quality of life of breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2021
    Pooled it
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  9. Article
  10. Toward a better understanding of the uptake of interventions for cancer-related fatigue: the perspective of healthcare providers, patients, and partners.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
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  16. The feasibility of a multidimensional intervention in lymphoma survivors with chronic fatigue.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Article
  17. Article
  18. A review of the impact of energy balance on triple-negative breast cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs · 2023
    Review
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  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

T K CorbettNIHR ARC Wessex, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. T.k.corbett@soton.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-5620-5377
A GroarkeSchool of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
D DevaneSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
E CarrSchool of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
J C WalshSchool of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
B E McGuireSchool of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFatigue is a common symptom in cancer patients that can persist beyond the curative treatment phase. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of psychological interventions for cancer-related fatigue in post-treatment cancer survivors.

methodsWe searched relevant online databases and sources of grey literature. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating psychological interventions in adult cancer patients after the completion of treatment, with fatigue as an outcome measure, were included. Two review authors extracted data independently from the selected studies and assessed the methodological quality using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool.

resultsThirty-three psychological interventions were identified. The sample size of the included studies varied between 28 and 409, with 4525 participants overall. Twenty-three of the included studies reported a significant effect of the interventions on reducing fatigue in cancer survivors. Most interventions focused on psychoeducation, mindfulness, cognitive or behaviour therapy-oriented strategies. However, studies differed widely in terms of measurement tools used to assess fatigue, mode, duration and frequency of the intervention delivery.

conclusionsThis review showed some tentative support for psychological interventions for fatigue after cancer treatment. However, as the RCTs were heterogeneous in nature and the number of high-quality studies was limited, definitive conclusions are not yet possible. With the growing need for stage-specific research in cancer, this review sought to inform current practice and to summarise the existing evidence base of randomised controlled trials in the area. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42014015219.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyMindfulnessRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCancer SurvivorsFatigueHumansQuality of LifeCancerCancer-related fatigueFatigueNarrative reviewPost-treatmentPsychologicalPsychooncologyReviewSurvivorship

Identifiers

PMID31836007
PMCPMC6911282

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.