To synthesize available evidence on fibromyalgia (FM) in oncological patients, focusing on prevalence, clinical characteristics, and its impact on pain perception, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and treatment adherence, emphasizing the clinical significance of these findings.
Key Findings:
FM does not increase cancer risk but contributes to pain amplification and higher symptom burden, impacting treatment outcomes.
FM is associated with reduced HRQoL and impaired treatment adherence, necessitating integrated management strategies.
Pre-existing nociplastic pain features are linked to premature discontinuation of oncological therapies, highlighting the need for careful monitoring.
Interpretation:
The overlap between FM-related and cancer-related symptoms poses significant diagnostic challenges in clinical practice, necessitating improved assessment tools.
Limitations:
Evidence in oncology populations is limited and affected by moderate to high risk of bias, partly due to confounding factors such as comorbidities and treatment variations.
The heterogeneity of included studies precluded quantitative synthesis, limiting the generalizability of findings.
Conclusion:
FM is a relevant comorbidity in oncology that warrants further investigation through high-quality longitudinal studies to clarify causal associations and support evidence-based management, particularly in the context of treatment adherence and quality of life.
by Melania Prete, Giuseppe Porciello, Elvira Palumbo, Sara Vitale, Maurizio Marchesini, Sabrina Bimonte, Francesco Del Prato, Arturo Cuomo, Marco Cascella, Maria Grimaldi, Natalia Russo, Assunta Luongo, Anna Crispo
