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Acupuncture to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00070967
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : October 13, 2003
Last Update Posted : August 18, 2006
Sponsor:
Information provided by:
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Study Description
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Brief Summary:
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.

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Ovarian Cancer Procedure: Acupuncture Phase 2

Detailed Description:

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.


Study Design
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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Enrollment : 40 participants
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Effects of Acupuncture on Pain, Nausea, Quality of Life
Study Start Date : September 2001
Study Completion Date : February 2005

Resource links provided by the National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus related topics: Acupuncture

Arms and Interventions
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Outcome Measures
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Eligibility Criteria
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Information from the National Library of Medicine

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Ages Eligible for Study:   21 Years and older   (Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

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 Locations
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Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00070967


Locations
United States, Massachusetts
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
Sponsors and Collaborators
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Investigators
Principal Investigator: David S. Rosenthal, MD Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
More Information
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00070967     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT001010-01 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
First Posted: October 13, 2003    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: August 18, 2006
Last Verified: July 2006

Keywords provided by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):
Acupuncture
Quality of Life
Complementary Therapies
TCM
Traditional Chinese Medicine