Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41840094›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Effects of psychosocial interventions on cancer-related fatigue in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Jinling Lu, Ruohan Wang, Yuen Yu Chong

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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

3 authors.

Jinling LuThe Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong , New Territories, Room 828, Esther Lee Building, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ruohan WangThe Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong , New Territories, Room 828, Esther Lee Building, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yuen Yu ChongThe Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong , New Territories, Room 828, Esther Lee Building, Hong Kong SAR, China. conniechong@cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5664-2051

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis review aimed to scrutinise and critically appraise the evidence on the effects of psychosocial interventions in alleviating CRF for colorectal cancer patients.

methodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, CNKI, and WANFANG Database were electronically searched from inception to 31st August 2025 for randomised controlled trials examining psychosocial interventions for CRF in colorectal cancer patients. Meta-analyses were performed for short-term (immediately post-intervention to 1 month), medium-term (> 1 to 3 months), and long-term (> 3 months) follow-up periods. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The Review Manager Software (Version 5.4.1) was used for data analysis.

resultsNine studies with 1426 participants were included. Interventions were categorised as psychotherapies, psycho-behavioural interventions, and yoga. Meta-analyses indicated that compared to controls, psychosocial interventions significantly reduced CRF at short-term (standardised mean difference (SMD) = -0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.82 to -0.23), medium-term (SMD = -0.51, 95%CI = -0.73 to -0.29), and long-term (SMD = -0.24, 95%CI = -0.46 to -0.01) follow-up. Subgroup analyses indicated that psycho-behavioural interventions were effective (SMD = -0.39, 95% CI = -0.76 to -0.01), while psychotherapy and yoga showed no significant effects. The certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.

conclusionsPsychosocial interventions, particularly psycho-behavioural approaches, appear effective in reducing CRF among patients with colorectal cancer; however, effects were consistent at medium-term and long-term follow-up, while short-term findings showed substantial heterogeneity. More rigorous, adequately powered trials are needed to strengthen and extend the current evidence base.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsFatiguePsychosocial InterventionPsychotherapyHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicYogaCancer-related fatigueColorectal cancerPsychosocialSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41840094
PMCPMC12992422

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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.