Full Text View
Tabular View
No Study Results Posted
Related Studies
Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Post-Chemotherapy Fatigue: A Randomized, Phase III Trial
This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, March 2009
First Received: September 9, 2005   Last Updated: March 11, 2009   History of Changes
Sponsored by: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Information provided by: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00200096
  Purpose

In a previous study, we found that acupuncture may decrease fatigue. The aim of this study is to determine whether acupuncture is helpful in reducing fatigue in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. We will also study how fatigue, quality of life, mood, level of physical activity. This study will involve about 88 patients.


Condition Intervention Phase
Cancer
Procedure: Acupuncture and questionnaires
Procedure: placebo acupuncture
Phase III

MedlinePlus related topics: Acupuncture Cancer
U.S. FDA Resources
Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Randomized, Single Blind (Subject), Placebo Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study
Official Title: Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Post-Chemotherapy Fatigue: A Randomized, Phase III Trial

Further study details as provided by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • To determine whether acupuncture reduces chronic fatigue after chemotherapy more effectively than placebo [ Time Frame: six weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • To examine the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on fatigue [ Time Frame: six months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • To examine predictors of response to acupuncture treatment in terms of baseline symptoms, hemoglobin, age, sex, time since chemotherapy and concurrent treatment [ Time Frame: six months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • To examine the effect of acupuncture on levels of physical activity and quality of life. [ Time Frame: six months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment: 150
Study Start Date: July 2004
Estimated Study Completion Date: July 2010
Estimated Primary Completion Date: July 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
1: Active Comparator
Acupuncture and questionnaires
Procedure: Acupuncture and questionnaires
Acupuncture once weekly for six weeks Brief Fatigue Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment scale. Patients will repeat the BFI and FACT-G at seven and eight weeks after randomization, approximately one and two weeks after their final treatment. HADS will be repeated at week seven. At the end of the study, patients will be asked to state whether they were thought they on true or placebo acupuncture and why. On the day of the final session of acupuncture treatment (approximately day 35), blood samples will be collected and tested for hemoglobin, thyroid function tests, as described in pretreatment evaluation. The results will be designated "posttreatment" values. Actigraphic monitoring will be conducted in week seven. Patients will be asked to wear the device for seven days just like during baseline evaluation.
2: Sham Comparator
placebo acupuncture and questionnaires
Procedure: placebo acupuncture
During the placebo phase, placebo acupuncture needles (68) will be applied a few mm away from the points. The placebo acupuncture needle is a blunt tipped needle that moves up inside its handle. However, the needle does not penetrate the skin and instead moves upward inside the handle. Needles will be applied after sterile swabbing of the skin and kept in place for 20 minutes in both group.Patients in the placebo group will be offered true acupuncture after receipt of the week seven and eight fatigue diaries. Patients will complete the BFI, HADS and FACT-G at baseline, approximately two weeks before randomization and their first treatment. The BFI and FACT-G will be repeated after seven days, that is, one week before randomization. The use of repeat measurement decreases intrapatient variability and hence increases the precision of the baseline measure.

Detailed Description:

Primary objective:

To determine whether acupuncture reduces chronic fatigue after chemotherapy more effectively than placebo

Secondary objectives:

  1. To examine the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on fatigue
  2. To examine predictors of response to acupuncture treatment in terms of baseline symptoms, hemoglobin, age, sex, time since chemotherapy and concurrent treatment
  3. To examine the effect of acupuncture on levels of physical activity and quality of life.
  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 64 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients age 18 - 64 diagnosed with a malignancy (solid tumor or hematologic malignancy). We are excluding children primarily because fatigue in children is assessed differently from adults (56). Moreover, as children constitute only about 5% of the cancer population and as post-chemotherapy fatigue appears to be relatively rare in children (57), we would expect little if any accrual from the pediatric population. Patients aged 65 and over are excluded for likely non-response, as described under preliminary data.
  • Patients must have received chemotherapy
  • Patients must complain of fatigue following chemotherapy but not prior to chemotherapy
  • At least 60 days must have elapsed between the last chemotherapy infusion and completion of the first baseline questionnaire. Acute chemotherapy related fatigue typically lasts two to three weeks at most (58). Patients with fatigue at 60 days can therefore be considered to be chronic cases.
  • Mean baseline fatigue as measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) must be four or above. A score of four on the BFI is considered the threshold between "mild" and "moderate" symptoms (18).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Anemia, defined as Hb<9 or active treatment for anemia. Iron supplementation is allowed as long as the dose has been stable for at least six weeks.

Anemia is excluded as a major treatable cause of fatigue.

  • Platelets less than 50,000/microliter or an Absolute Neutrophil Count less than 1,000/microliter. Patients with low platelets or neutrophils are at the risk of bleeding or infection, respectively.
  • Baseline depression score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale of 11 or above, indicating clinical depression. Patients excluded for depression will be referred for appropriate psychiatric evaluation. Depression is excluded as a treatable cause of fatigue.
  • Thyroid disorder, defined as either thyroid stimulating hormone or free T4 out of normal range, is excluded as it is a possible cause of fatigue unrelated to cancer therapy.
  • Surgery under general anesthesia; immunotherapy; radiotherapy; or initiation of hormonal therapy within the three weeks prior to enrollment.
  • Acupuncture in the previous six weeks.
  • Change in use of any of the following drugs in the prior three weeks: opiates, anti-depressants (other than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) / anxiolytics; OR change in use of SSRIs in the prior six weeks. "Change in use" is defined as initiation or cessation of treatment, or change in prescribed dose or regimen: changes in actual amounts of PRN medication taken are allowed.
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00200096

Contacts
Contact: Gary Deng, MD, PhD 646-888-0815 Dengg@mskcc.org

Locations
United States, New Jersey
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Recruiting
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States
Contact: Gary Deng, MD         dengg@mskcc.org    
Principal Investigator: Gary Deng, MD            
United States, New York
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Recruiting
New York, New York, United States, 10021
Contact: Gary Deng, MD, PhD     646-888-0815        
Principal Investigator: Gary Deng, MD, PhD            
Sponsors and Collaborators
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Gary Deng, MD, PhD Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  More Information

Additional Information:
No publications provided

Responsible Party: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ( Gary Deng, MD,PhD )
Study ID Numbers: 04-081
Study First Received: September 9, 2005
Last Updated: March 11, 2009
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00200096     History of Changes
Health Authority: United States: Food and Drug Administration

Keywords provided by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center:
Cancer
Fatigue

Study placed in the following topic categories:
Fatigue

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 07, 2009