Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40965781›Full record

ReviewAdvances in therapy2025

Fatigue Experience in Oncology; a Targeted Qualitative Literature Review and Novel Patient-Centric Conceptual Model.

Chloe Carmichael, Cecile Gousset, Danielle Burns, Jordan Miller, Sophie Van Tomme, Helen Kitchen, Harriet Makin, Natalie Aldhouse, Paul Cordero

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Advances in therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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

9 authors.

Chloe CarmichaelClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2278-2176
Cecile GoussetPatient-Informed Development and Health Value Translation, Research and Development, Sanofi, Gentilly, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-8820-8822
Danielle BurnsClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5522-5384
Jordan MillerClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2068-5951
Sophie Van TommePatient-Informed Development and Health Value Translation, Research and Development, Sanofi, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-4737-0987
Helen KitchenClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5519-0794
Harriet MakinClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1769-2205
Natalie AldhouseClinical Outcomes Assessment, Clarivate Analytics, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-7431
Paul CorderoPatient-Informed Development and Health Value Translation, Research and Development, Sanofi, 410 Thames Valley Park Dr, Earley, Reading, RG6 1PT, UK. paul.cordero@sanofi.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9236-2268

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTraditionally, treatment endpoints in oncology have focused on increasing overall survival and progression-free survival. Although fatigue may be a meaningful outcome measure across different cancers, it is assessed less frequently. To explore the impact of fatigue on patients with cancer, confirm the importance of fatigue measurement and inform future measurement strategies in oncology, we aimed to characterise the patient experience of fatigue and the associated impact on how patients feel and function, including aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

methodsA targeted literature review of published fatigue-related qualitative publications in oncology was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO, limited to studies published between 2018 and 2023. Concepts were extracted from the qualitative literature and patient quotes or author descriptions/interpretations were subject to secondary analysis using semantic, qualitative, directed content analysis techniques via ATLAS.ti v9. The literature review informed the development of a preliminary patient-centric conceptual model of fatigue in oncology.

resultsOf 1210 identified publications, 26 were selected for data extraction, including 512 patients living with 28 different oncology indications across geographies. Frequently reported fatigue triggers included treatments and cancer itself. Patients used various fatigue descriptors, including low/lack/loss of energy, tiredness and exhaustion, across disease stages. Physiological and cognitive manifestations of fatigue were reported, and fatigue episodes were described as unpredictable and of variable severity, duration and frequency. Cancer-related fatigue had a substantial negative effect on patients' QoL, including emotional, physical, physiological, social, activities of daily living, sleep and work impacts. Unmet needs included poor support from healthcare professionals (HCPs).

conclusionsThis review demonstrated that fatigue is an impactful symptom across oncology indications and provides the first holistic conceptual model of cancer-related fatigue across disease stages and treatments. Future research should review clinical outcome assessments (COA) that may be fit-for-purpose for measuring fatigue in oncology clinical trials.

Indexed as

FatigueNeoplasmsQuality of LifeHumansQualitative ResearchCancerCancer-related fatigueConceptual modelFatigueHealth-related quality of lifePatient experienceQualitative research

Identifiers

PMID40965781
PMCPMC12579655

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.