Cancer-related fatigue in palliative care: a global perspective

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in a palliative care setting is a distressing symptom that can have a negative impact on a patient's quality of life. A range of setting- and disease-specific factors, unknown aetiology and absence of unilateral guidelines make CRF treatment a challenge for clinicians. In the absence of high-quality evidence in favour of any pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures, except exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy and psychosocial interventions, a personalised integrative oncology approach can lead to effective management. Findings suggest adoption of a severity-based symptom-stage adjusted CRF management care pathway, highlighting best practices to illustrate the lived experience of this symptom. Overcoming barriers by staff training, patient education, facilitating communication and patients' self-care, will increase CRF management effectiveness. Future CRF multisymptom or multidimensional nature investigation trials of its underlying mechanisms and new pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies applied separately or in combination, will help reveal the best approach to CRF diagnosis, assessment and management.