The following is a summary of “Treatment of Cancer-related-Fatigue in Acute Hematological Malignancies: Results of a Feasibility Study of using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,” published in the MARCH 2023 issue of Pain Management by Yennurajalingam, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to determine the feasibility of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with recently diagnosed acute hematological malignancies (HM). 

A total of 36 patients with moderate to severe fatigue were enrolled in the study and received CBT in seven weekly sessions over eight weeks. The primary outcome was a change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Illness Therapy (FACIT) – Fatigue, and secondary outcomes included FACT-G, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory – Acute Myeloid Leukemia (MDASI-AML/MDS), and Herth Hope Index (HHI). 

Of the 36 patients, 27 were evaluable, and adherence and satisfaction rates to the CBT intervention were 78.6% (95% CI 67.2%, 89.9%) and 92% (95% CI 76.7%, 98.3%), respectively. The most common HM was AML (60%), and the median age was 66, with 64% female patients. At the end of eight weeks, the mean improvement for FACIT-F was 5.5 (13.6), Cohen δ 0.4, P=0.046, and for PSQI total was 2.9 (3), Cohen δ -1, P=0.006. The study also found significant improvement in HADS anxiety -2.7 (4.5), P=0.049, MDASI Sleep -1.8 (3.0), P=0.022, and MDASI mean module symptom severity -0.7 (1.6), P=0.006. No significant improvements were found in FACT-G, HHI, and HADS-depression scores. 

CBT was practical, improving HM’s CRF, sleep quality, and anxiety scores. Controlled, randomized studies were appropriate.

Reference: jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(22)00964-2/fulltext