Interventions minimizing fatigue in children/adolescents with cancer: An integrative review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Integrative Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating symptom in pediatric chronic conditions, particularly cancer.
• Effective management strategies for fatigue in children and adolescents are crucial for improving quality of life.
• Existing research on non-pharmacological fatigue interventions in this population is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an integrative review of non-pharmacological fatigue interventions for children and adolescents with cancer.
• To identify interventions with reported positive outcomes and those lacking effectiveness.
• To highlight gaps in the current research landscape.

Main Methods:

• Integrative literature review from January 2000 to December 2016.
• Searched four major databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed (Medline), and Web of Science.
• Included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, case-control, and cohort studies.

Main Results:

• Seven studies reported positive outcomes for interventions including exercise, exercise plus leisure activities, healing touch, and acupressure.
• Six studies using exercise, exercise plus psychological intervention, and massage found no significant effectiveness.
• A total of thirteen studies were included in the final analysis.

Conclusions:

• Certain non-pharmacological interventions show potential for managing fatigue in pediatric cancer patients.
• The effectiveness of interventions like exercise, healing touch, and acupressure warrants further investigation.
• More research is needed with homogenous cancer populations and cautious interpretation of current findings is advised.