Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for reducing cancer-related fatigue among adults

Abstract

Overview of topic: Cancer and its treatment commonly bring along side effects, one of which is cancer-related fatigue. This symptom is experienced by 80% to 100% of patients (American Cancer Society, 2020) and hence is important to address. For the management of cancer-related fatigue, non-pharmacological interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be utilised. This dissertation aims to evaluate if Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is effective in reducing cancer related fatigue in adult cancer patients. The research question and PICO Elements: Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy effective in reducing cancer-related fatigue in adults? The population (P) studied was adult cancer patients, the intervention (I) observed was Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in comparison (C) with no Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, while the final outcome (O) was reduced cancer-related fatigue. Method: A thorough systematic search was conducted from six databases to retrieve relevant studies by making use of keywords, synonyms, Boolean operators, and limiters. Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed studies in English, published in the last 17 years, having full text, including all PICO elements. and were systematic reviews, meta-analysis, randomised controlled trials or cohort studies. Five randomised controlled trials were identified for critical appraisal using the relevant Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Results and Conclusion: The findings from the appraised literature showed a significant reduction of cancer-related fatigue when using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. However, due to limitations found within the studies, a definitive conclusion could not be drawn. Implications and recommendations: More studies with larger sample sizes, looking at different oncology cohorts in different locations need to be conducted. Staff and patients should be educated about the benefits of this Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Developing guidelines to properly assess and manage cancer-related fatigue is important.