title: Use of methylphenidate for the management of fatigue in Chinese patients with cancer.
abstract: REASON FOR THE STUDY: Studies on methylphenidate for cancer-related fatigue showed conflicting results. This prospective study aims to determine whether methylphenidate is useful for relieving fatigue in Chinese patients with cancer. Chinese Version of Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-C) was administered on days 1, 8, and 29. Methylphenidate dose on day 1 was 5 mg daily then adjusted after day 8 according to response and side effects tolerance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 48% of the 25 recruited patients were on methylphenidate by day 29. Overall, no significant improvement in fatigue level was observed after methylphenidate, though benefits were shown in subgroups with age ≤ 65 and higher baseline BFI-C values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylphenidate may be useful for management of cancer-related fatigue in selected Chinese patients.
authors: 1Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors: Steven W K
authors: SW
authors: Siu
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Law
authors: Rico K Y
authors: RK
authors: Liu
authors: K H
authors: KH
authors: Wong
authors: Inda S
authors: IS
authors: Soong
authors: Annie O L
authors: AO
authors: Kwok
authors: K H
authors: KH
authors: Ng
authors: P T
authors: PT
authors: Lam
authors: T W
authors: TW
authors: Leung
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate
keywords: Chinese; fatigue; methylphenidate; multicenter studies; palliative medicine; prospective studies