Prevalence, severity, and risk factors of cancer-related fatigue among working cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Masaaki Matsunaga; Yupeng He; May Thet Khine; Xuliang Shi; Ryusei Okegawa; Yuanying Li; Hiroshi Yatsuya; Atsuhiko Ota

doi:10.1007/s11764-024-01557-8

Prevalence, severity, and risk factors of cancer-related fatigue among working cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01557-8. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Masaaki Matsunaga¹, Yupeng He², May Thet Khine², Xuliang Shi², Ryusei Okegawa², Yuanying Li³, Hiroshi Yatsuya³, Atsuhiko Ota²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan. mm-223@fujita-hu.ac.jp.
² Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan.
³ Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.

PMID: 38418754
DOI: 10.1007/s11764-024-01557-8

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of cancer-related fatigue among currently working cancer survivors.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ICHUSHI databases. The risk of bias was evaluated independently using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS). A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence, severity, and related factors associated with cancer-related fatigue among currently working cancer survivors.

Results: Our meta-analysis included 18 studies and revealed that 42.2% of currently working cancer survivors experience cancer-related fatigue. The fatigue severity in this group was significantly higher than that in workers without cancer (absolute standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.67), but lower than that in cancer survivors who had previously worked and were not currently working (absolute SMD = 0.72). Distress was identified as a potential risk factor for cancer-related fatigue in working cancer survivors (partial correlation coefficient = 0.38).

Conclusions: The high prevalence of cancer-related fatigue among employed cancer survivors underscores the need for targeted workplace interventions and fatigue management strategies. While the severity of fatigue is less than that seen in non-working survivors, the comparison with the general working population highlights a significant health disparity. The association between distress and fatigue suggests the necessity for a holistic approach to fatigue management that considers both physical and mental factors in working cancer survivors.

Implications for cancer survivors: Our findings highlight the critical need for healthcare professionals and employers to monitor fatigue levels among working cancer survivors and offer appropriate support.

Keywords: Cancer-related fatigue; Meta-analysis; Prevalence; Risk factors; Severity; Work; Work retention.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

JP22K17403/Japan Society for the Promotion of Science