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Acupuncture to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer
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Purpose
| Condition | Intervention | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Ovarian Cancer | Procedure: Acupuncture | Phase 2 |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Non-Randomized Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | Effects of Acupuncture on Pain, Nausea, Quality of Life |
| Estimated Enrollment: | 40 |
| Study Start Date: | September 2001 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | February 2005 |
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.
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
| Sexes Eligible for Study: | Female |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
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
Contacts and LocationsPlease refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00070967
| United States, Massachusetts | |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | |
| Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115 | |
| Principal Investigator: | David S. Rosenthal, MD | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
More Information
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00070967 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: |
R21AT001010-01 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
| Study First Received: | October 9, 2003 |
| Last Updated: | August 17, 2006 |
Keywords provided by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):
|
Acupuncture Quality of Life Complementary Therapies TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on July 21, 2017