Cancer-related fatigue in dermatologic surgery

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a well-recognized phenomenon in oncology, yet it remains unexplored in dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology. CRF is a distressing sense of physical, emotional, and cognitive tiredness related to cancer and its treatment, disproportionate to recent activity. This scoping review aims to introduce the concept of CRF and examine high-risk groups (eg, solid organ transplant recipients, basal cell nevus syndrome patients, chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients) that often undergo repetitive management cycles. The initial part of this review focuses on oncologic literature suggesting that cancer and its treatments can predispose to dysregulation of cytokine signaling and a pro-inflammatory state, contributing to CRF development. CRF can be assessed with validated tools (eg, Brief Fatigue Inventory), and oncology literature highlights multiple risk factors (eg, younger age, poor performance status, comorbid psychiatric disorders) associated with a higher CRF prevalence. The latter portion of the article emphasizes the challenges faced by high-risk populations, including their elevated risk of skin cancer development and the current lack of reliable long-term preventative measures. We highlight overlapping risk factors identified in oncologic CRF literature and dermatologic surgery quality of life studies and explore management strategies such as behavioral interventions and the critical role of counseling in addressing CRF.