The following is a summary of the “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 and Symptom Management by Yennurajalingam, et al.

Patients with newly diagnosed acute hematological malignancies (HM) report cancer-related fatigue (CRF) as their most disabling symptom; however, effective treatments for CRF in HM are scarce. The purpose of this research was to examine the viability of using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat CRF in HM. Patients with HM diagnosed with moderate to severe fatigue a median of one month prior were enrolled in this preliminary longitudinal prospective study. Patients attended CBT sessions once a week for eight weeks in total. 

The researchers looked at scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDASI-AML/MDS), and the Herth Hope Index (HHI) as they changed over the course of cancer treatment. Nearly 27 out of 36 patients (75%) could be assessed. They found that 78.6% (95% CI 67.2%, 89.9%) of people who participated in the CBT intervention were adherent and that 92% (95% CI 76.7%, 98.3%) were satisfied with the program.

The median FACIT-F was 27, the median age was 66, and 60% had AML as their HM. In the end, the mean (SD) improvement on the FACIT-F was 5.5(13.6), Cohen 0.4, P=0.046; and on the PSQI total, it was 2.9(3), Cohen -1, P=0.006. In addition, they discovered statistically significant enhancements in the following areas: MDASI Sleep (-1.8(3.0), P=0.022), MDASI Mean Module Symptom Severity (-0.7(1.6), P=0.006), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (-2.7(4.5), P=0.049). However, the FACT-G, HHI, and HADS-depression scores showed no statistically significant improvements. As measured by changes in CRF, sleep quality, and anxiety levels, CBT for HM is a viable treatment option. Therefore, the use of randomized controlled trials has merit.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0885392422009642