Acupuncture to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

NCT ID: NCT00070967

Last Updated: 2006-08-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2001-09-30

Study Completion Date

2005-02-28

Brief Summary

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This study will test the feasibility of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for advanced cancer by comparing symptoms and quality of life before and after 8 weeks of acupuncture treatments.

Detailed Description

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A large percentage of the practice and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States is focused on cancer. Whether the CAM use is aimed at reducing one's risk of developing cancer or improving the quality of life of a cancer patient during treatment or at the end of life, the public focus on CAM and cancer has created a driving force for cancer centers to address the efficacy and science of these methods.

Currently, the majority of cancer patients do not receive adequate palliative care. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in the treatment of pain and nausea and has also been shown to improve one's general well-being. Acupuncture also has some effectiveness in relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression. This study will evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture by Traditional Chinese Medicine clinicians to address the quality of life and symptoms of patients with incurable cancer.

Women with recurrent metastatic ovarian cancer and similar patients with advanced cancer who are ambulatory and receiving conventional palliative care will be enrolled in this study. Patients will continue to receive high-quality, conventional clinical interventions, including chemotherapy and pain and symptom reduction programs. Patients will also receive 8 weeks of acupuncture. Evaluation tools such as Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale for Cancer (SLDS-C), Brief Pain Inventory, and Rotterdam Symptom Check List will be used to assess the acupuncture intervention.

Conditions

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Ovarian Cancer

Keywords

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Acupuncture Quality of Life Complementary Therapies TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Interventions

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Acupuncture

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Advanced cancer patients, primarily ovarian cancer patients
* Undergoing palliative care treatment
* Ambulatory
* Symptomatic with pain, nausea, and/or an inadequate quality of life
* Platelets \> 25,000/mm3
* ANC \> 500 cells/mm3

Exclusion Criteria

* Acupuncture treatment during the 6 months prior to study entry
* History of bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia or von Willebrand disease
* Acute psychosis
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role lead

Principal Investigators

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David S. Rosenthal, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Locations

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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Other Identifiers

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R21AT001010-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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