Cancer-related fatigue in adolescents and young adults: A systematic review of the literature

Adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYA) represent a specific age cohort dealing with the disease in a stage of life characterized by development, upheavals, and establishment. The aim of this study was to point out the state of research on how AYA are affected by cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Results: Twelve articles were included. CRF was found to be higher in AYA than in either of the comparison groups, healthy peers and older cancer patients. Most included studies did not measure CRF with multidimensional, fatigue-specific instruments. Conclusion: We found a gap in research concerning CRF in AYA. The existing findings suggest that CRF is a significant issue for AYA cancer patients. However, less is known about the prevalence, severity, and impact of CRF in AYA, and their treatment. This should be considered in future research, and risk and prevention factors should be ascertained. Multidimensional and fatigue-specific measuring tools should be used to do this.