ESMO releases Guideline on the management of cancer-related fatigue

The key treatment recommendations are provided including levels of evidence and grades of recommendation where applicable

"[CRF] cancer-related fatigue is different from other types of fatigue by its severity and persistence and the inability to alleviate it through rest or sleep", explain Alessandra Fabi (IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy) and fellow members of the ESMO Guidelines Committee.

The guidelines include advice on shared-decision making between patients and healthcare professionals, the diagnosis criteria for CRF, and screening and risk assessment for the condition, including specialist advice for the care of elderly patients.

The Committee also reviewed the research and has advised on the management of cancer-related fatigue through exercise, psychosocial interventions, mind–body interventions, yoga, acupuncture, and the use of pharmacologic agents including psychostimulants, antidepressants, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and corticosteroids, as well as nutraceutical treatments.

Education and counseling are essential for helping cancer patients anticipate and cope with fatigue that may be associated with their disease or related to their cancer treatments. Effective strategies for coping with fatigue include energy conservation, activity management, optimizing restful sleep, and use of relaxation techniques. The most convincing data exist for the benefits of physical exercise in reducing CRF, although patient limitations must be considered.

For further reference log on to:

Ann Oncol 2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2020.02.016