Bupropion sustained release treatment reduces fatigue in cancer patients

To demonstrate that bupropion sustained release (SR) can reduce the symptoms of fatigue experienced by cancer patients.

We studied an open-label case series of outpatients with fatigue referred for psychiatric assessment from a tertiary care cancer centre. Inclusion criteria were the presence of fatigue or depression with marked fatigue. Clinical status was assessed using the Global Clinical Improvement scale.

Fifteen subjects with various cancer sites and psychiatric diagnoses were treated with bupropion SR (modal dose 150 mg) for up to 2 years. Most (13 of 15) saw improvement. Thirteen patients had minor, expectable side effects, and 10 patients were able to continue with bupropion for an extended time. All subjects who improved showed improvement within 2 to 4 weeks.

This is the first report that shows bupropion SR can reduce fatigue in cancer patients. Controlled studies with more homogeneous samples would be necessary to establish the efficacy of this intervention. Further studies should address whether this effect of bupropion is separate from its action as an antidepressant.