Cooper, M. R., Bird, H. M., & Steinberg, M. (2009). Efficacy and safety of modafinil in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 43, 721–725.
To review the efficacy and safety of modafinil for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
Databases searched were MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Google Scholar (1950–November 2008).
Search keywords were modafinil, cancer, and fatigue.
Studies were included in the review if they were written in English.
No exclusion criteria were specified.
Articles were identified using the keywords, and publications were analyzed for significance. References from the identified articles were also reviewed for pertinence.
This review discussed the strengths and weaknesses of four relevant studies. The authors concluded that the preliminary findings demonstrated the benefits of modafinil use with minimal toxicity and that modafinil can be considered a treatment option for patients with CRF. Additional long-term placebo-controlled trials are needed in this area.