Display options
Cite
Mücke M, Mochamat, Cuhls H, et al. Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative care: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016;7(1):23-7doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12101.
Mücke, M., Mochamat, Cuhls, H., Peuckmann-Post, V., Minton, O., Stone, P., & Radbruch, L. (2016). Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative care: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review. Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 7(1), 23-7. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12101
Mücke, Martin, et al. "Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative care: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review." Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle vol. 7,1 (2016): 23-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12101
Mücke M, Mochamat, Cuhls H, Peuckmann-Post V, Minton O, Stone P, Radbruch L. Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative care: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016 Mar;7(1):23-7. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12101. Epub 2016 Feb 10. PMID: 27066315; PMCID: PMC4799864.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016 Mar;7(1):23-7. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12101. Epub 2016 Feb 10.

Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative care: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review.

Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle

Martin Mücke, Mochamat, Henning Cuhls, Vera Peuckmann-Post, Ollie Minton, Patrick Stone, Lukas Radbruch

Affiliations

  1. Department of Palliative Medicine University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany; Department of General Practice and Family Medicine University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany; Center for Rare Diseases Bonn (ZSEB) University Hospital of Bonn Bonn Germany.
  2. Department of Palliative Medicine University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy University of Diponegoro/Kariadi Hospital Jawa Tengah Indonesia.
  3. Department of Palliative Medicine University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany.
  4. Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Hospital of Aachen Aachen Germany.
  5. Division of Mental Health St George's University of London London UK.
  6. Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department UCL Division of Psychiatry London UK.
  7. Department of Palliative Medicine University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany; Centre for Palliative Care Malteser Hospital Seliger Gerhard Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Bonn Germany.

PMID: 27066315 PMCID: PMC4799864 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.12101

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In palliative care patients, fatigue can be severely debilitating and is often not counteracted with rest, thereby impacting daily activity and quality of life. Further complicating issues are the multidimensionality, subjective nature and lack of a consensus definition of fatigue. The review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for fatigue in palliative care, with a focus on patients at an advanced stage of disease, including patients with cancer and other chronic diseases.

METHODS: We considered randomized controlled trials concerning adult palliative care with a focus on pharmacological treatment of fatigue compared with placebo, application of two drugs, usual care or a non-pharmacological intervention. The primary outcome had to be non-specific fatigue (or related terms such as asthenia). We searched the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE, and a selection of cancer journals up to 28 April 2014. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted the data.

RESULTS: We screened 1645 publications of which 45 met the inclusion criteria. In total, we analysed data from 18 drugs and 4696 participants. There was a very high degree of statistical and clinical heterogeneity in the trials. Meta-analysis of data was possible for modafinil, pemoline, and methylphenidate.

CONCLUSIONS: Due to the limited evidence, we cannot recommend a specific drug for the treatment of fatigue in palliative care patients. Some drugs, which may be beneficial for the treatment of fatigue associated with palliative care such as amantadine, methylphenidate, and modafinil, should be further researched.

Keywords: Advanced disease; Fatigue; Palliative care; Pharmacological treatments; Systematic review

References

  1. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016 Mar;7(1):23-7 - PubMed
  2. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007 Dec 1;69(5):1496-501 - PubMed
  3. Muscle Nerve. 2009 Mar;39(3):297-303 - PubMed
  4. Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2005 Sep;2(3):155-60 - PubMed
  5. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Dec 15;21(24):4635-41 - PubMed
  6. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 May 16;(5):CD007280 - PubMed
  7. Neurology. 2005 Apr 12;64(7):1139-43 - PubMed
  8. Support Care Cancer. 2000 May;8(3):175-9 - PubMed
  9. J Psychosom Res. 2004 Feb;56(2):157-70 - PubMed
  10. S Afr Med J. 2004 Jun;94(6):450-4 - PubMed
  11. Palliat Med. 2008 Jan;22(1):13-32 - PubMed
  12. Scand J Caring Sci. 2014 Mar;28(1):130-8 - PubMed
  13. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jul 07;(7):CD006704 - PubMed
  14. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2015 Dec;6(4):315-6 - PubMed
  15. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Jul;14(7):1588-95 - PubMed
  16. Cancer Invest. 2005;23(3):229-39 - PubMed
  17. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Nov 10;(11):CD006788 - PubMed
  18. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jan 24;(1):CD002818 - PubMed
  19. J Clin Oncol. 2006 May 1;24(13):2073-8 - PubMed
  20. J Neurol. 2009 Apr;256(4):645-50 - PubMed
  21. Cancer. 2010 Jul 15;116(14):3513-20 - PubMed
  22. J Clin Nurs. 2010 Jan;19(1-2):69-78 - PubMed
  23. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2004;(32):112-8 - PubMed
  24. Am J Nephrol. 2013;38(6):489-95 - PubMed
  25. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Sep 1;31(25):3076-82 - PubMed
  26. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 May 30;(5):CD006788 - PubMed

Publication Types

Grant support