Table 1 Characteristics of included studies

Bakitas et al. (2015) [34]

USA

RCT

207 patient with advanced-stage solid tumor

Lung (n = 88); GI Tract (n = 50); Breast (n = 23); Other solid tumor (n = 20); Genitourinary = 16); Hematological (n = 10)

IG: 53.85

CG: 51.46

IG: 64.03 (10.28)

CG: 64.6 (9.59)

3 months

^a

Brims et al. (2019) ​[35]​

UK and Australia

RCT

174 patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (n = 174)

IG: 77.0

CG: 82.8

IG: 72.1 (66.7–77.7)

CG: 72.8 (69.0–78.9)

12–24 weeks

^a

Chen et al. (2022) [36]

China

RCT

120 patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC

Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (n = 120)

IG: 66.67

CG: 68.33

IG: 61.42 (11.48)

CG: 64.62 (10.50)

24 weeks

^b

Dionne-Odom et al. (2015) [37]

USA

RCT

124 family caregivers of advanced cancer patients

Lung (n = 53); GI Tract (n = 31); Breast (n = 10); Genitourinary (n = 10); Other solid tumor (n = 11); Hematological (n = 7)

IG: 23

CG: 19.7

IG: 61 (11.6)

CG: 57.9 (11.9)

3 months

^a

Dionne-Odom et al. (2022) [38]

USA

Pilot RCT

63 family caregivers of advance cancer patients

Breast (n = 9); Colon/rectal (n = 8); Lung (n = 6); Prostate (n = 5); Pancreatic (n = 2); Head and Neck (n = 3); Bladder/Kidney (n = 2); Other (n = 5)

IG: 21.9

CG: 22.6

IG: 63.4 (13.8)

CG: 54.4 (13,5)

8–24 weeks

-

do Carmo et al. (2017) [39]

Brazil

Pilot RCT

63 patients with advanced cancer

Breast (n = 18); Colon and rectum (n = 7); Lung (n = 7); Head and neck (n = 4); Cervix (n = 9); Stomach (n = 6); Other (n = 10)

IG: 68.4

CG: 63.6

IG: 49.1 (11.1)

CG: 57.0 (11.8)

90–180 days

^a

El-Jawahri et al. (2017) [40]

USA

RCT

275 family caregiver of lung and gastrointestinal cancers

NA

IG: 31.4

CG: 30.4

IG: 57.5 (14.7)

CG: 57.2 (12.5)

12 weeks

^b

Eychmüller et al. (2021) [41]

Switzerland

RCT

150 patients with advanced cancer

Lung cancer (n = 55); Colorectal cancer (n = 17); Prostate cancer (n = 22); Breast cancer (n = 16); Urothelial cancer (n = 5); Pancreatic cancer (n = 35)

64.7

IG: 67.3 (59.0—74.7)

CG: 67.3 (58.0—74.9)

2 months

^a

Franciosi et al. (2019) [42]

Italy

RCT

281 patients with advanced cancer

Lung cancer (n = 163); Pancreatic (n = 60); Gastric (n = 44); Biliary (n = 14)

IG: 68

CG: 62

IG: 68.5 (11)

CG: 68 (11)

12 weeks

^a

Groenvold et al. (2017) [43]

Denmark

RCT

145 patients with advanced cancer

Lung cancer (n = 103); Digestive system (n = 58); Breast (n = 66); Other (n = 70)

IG: 43

CG: 41

NA

3–8 weeks

^a

Johnsen et al. (2020) [44]

Denmark

RCT

297 patients with advanced cancer

Lung cancer (n = 103); Digestive system (n = 58); Breast (n = 66); Other (n = 70)

IG: 43

CG: 41

NA

8 weeks

^a

McDonald et al. (2017) [22]

Canada

RCT

182 primary caregivers

Lung cancer (n = 30); Gastrointestinal (n = 67); Genitourinary (n = 32); Breast (n = 32); Gynaecological (n = 21)

IG: 38.3

CG: 30.7

IG: 58.0 (25–83)

CG: 58 (61.7)

4 months

^a

Maltoni et al. (2016) [45]

Italy

RCT

207 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (n = 207)

IG: 61.5

CG: 52.8

IG: 67 (43–85)

CG: 66 (31–84)

12 weeks

^c

McCorkle et al. (2015) [46]

USA

RCT

146 patients with late-stage cancer

NR

43.8

60 (27–87)

3 months

^c

Rodin et al. (2022) [47]

Canada

RCT

232 patients with advanced cancer

Breast cancer (n = 72); Gastrointestinal (n = 139); Genitourinary (n = 78); Gynecological (n = 71); lung (n = 101)

IG: 50.5

CG: 52.7

IG: 61.6 (11.8) CG: 61.4 (12.1)

4 months

^b

Scarpi et al. (2018) [48]

Italy

RCT

186 patients with advanced gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (n = 186)

68.2

IG: 70 (36–84)

CG: 69 (34–89)

12 weeks

^c

Schenker et al. (2018) [49]

USA

Pilot RCT

30 patients with pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (n = 30)

50

63 (11)

3 months

^b

Slama et al. (2020) [50]

Czech Republic

RCT

126 patients with advanced cancer

Head and neck (n = 3); esophagus and stomach (n = 34); lungs (n = 26); pancreas (n = 37); colon (n = 26)

59.5

IG: 61.1 (9.8)

CG: 63.5 (10.4)

3–6 months

^b

Tamel et al. (2010) [51]

USA

RCT

151 patients with NSCLC

Non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 121)

51.6

IG: 64.98 (9.73)

CG: 64.87 (9.41)

12 weeks

^a

Temel et al. (2017) [52]

USA

RCT

350 patients with Lung and GI cancer

Lung cancer (n = 191); GI cancer (n = 159)

54

IG: 65.64 (11.26)

CG: 64.03 (10.46)

12–24 weeks

^a

Temel et al. (2020) [53]

USA

RCT

405 patients with advanced lung and GI cancer

Lung cancer (n = 234); Esophageal/gastroesophageal (n = 33)

56.5

IG: 65.5 (9.4)

CG: 65.0 (10.7)

12–24 weeks

^a

Vanbutsele et al. (2018) [54]

Belgium

RCT

468 patients with advanced cancer

Gastrointestinal (n = 71); lung (n = 51); head and neck (n = 19); breast (n = 14); melanoma (n = 15); genitourinary (n = 16)

68.8

IG: 64.5 (57.3–71.0)

CG: 65.0 (57.0–71.0)

12 weeks

^a

Zimmermann et al. (2014) [55]

Canada

RCT

461 patients with advanced cancer

Lung (n = 101); gastrointestinal (n = 139); genitourinary (n = 78); breast (n = 72); gynaecological (n = 71)

57,8%

IG: 61.2 (12.0)

CG: 60.2 (11.3)

1–4 months

^b