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

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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.

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Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the authors of the primary studies included in this meta-analysis for their excellent contributions to the literature. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.

Funding

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number JP22K17403, to M.M. The funder did not interfere with the authors' discretion while conducting this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan

    Masaaki Matsunaga, Yupeng He, May Thet Khine, Xuliang Shi, Ryusei Okegawa & Atsuhiko Ota

  2. Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan

    Yuanying Li & Hiroshi Yatsuya

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  1. Masaaki Matsunaga
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Contributions

Conceptualization, M.M.; methodology, M.M.; software, M.M.; validation, M.M., A.O. and H.Y.; formal analysis, M.M.; investigation—abstract screening, M.M., M.T.K, X.S., R.O.; investigation—full-text screening, M.M., Y.H., resources, M.M.; data curation, M.M.; writing—original draft preparation, M.M.; writing—review and editing, Y.H., M.T.K, X.S., R.O., Y.L., A.O., and H.Y.; visualization, M.M.; supervision, M.M.; project administration, M.M.; funding acquisition, M.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masaaki Matsunaga.

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This meta-analysis did not require ethical approval as it was based on previously published studies and did not involve human subjects or identifiable data.

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Informed consent was not required because the study was based on previously published studies and did not involve human subjects or identifiable data.

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Matsunaga, M., He, Y., Khine, M.T. et al. Prevalence, severity, and risk factors of cancer-related fatigue among working cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cancer Surviv (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01557-8

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