Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue Through Systematic Light Exposure

April 7, 2017 updated by: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Cancer related fatigue (CRF) - a persistent sense of exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment - can severely interfere with activities of daily living, and has even been reported to be a factor in patient requests for hastened death. CRF can represent a serious clinical problem years after all treatment has ended. There is currently no effective treatment for CRF. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether systematic exposure to light (from a commercially available Litebook) reduces CRF or other symptoms.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Cancer related fatigue (CRF) - a persistent sense of exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment - can severely interfere with activities of daily living, and has even been reported to be a factor in patient requests for hastened death. CRF can represent a serious clinical problem years after all treatment has ended. In our research with cancer survivors 1 to 3 years after completion of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), 40% of those we interviewed reported that CRF was a major obstacle to the resumption of usual activities. Despite its impact on quality of life, CRF is under-reported, under-diagnosed, and under-treated.

A variety of pharmacologic agents have been studied to treat CRF, but there is insufficient evidence to recommend their use. The most promising non-pharmacologic interventions -- exercise and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) -- have shown equally modest effects. The proposed study focuses on a promising new intervention for CRF, using systematic light exposure (SLE), consisting of a daily 30-minute exposure to as much as 10,000 lux of light from a commercially available light box. Study collaborator, Ancoli-Israel and her colleagues have successfully piloted this line of research with breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The goal of this study will be to assess the effect of SLE on long-term HSCT and breast cancer survivors, and to determine the feasibility and acceptability of SLE as an intervention for CRF. The approach will be informed by the procedures that Ancoli-Israel and her colleagues developed for their research on SLE treatment for breast cancer chemotherapy, as well as by Redd's studies of CBT to treat adjustment disorders in survivors of HSCT. The study arms will test the efficacy of two different types of light treatment, bright white light and dim red light. Outcomes will be assessed through standardized measures of CRF, sleep quality, and quality of life.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
54

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New Jersey
      • Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, 07601
        • Hackensack University Medical Center
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10029
        • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients:

  • With a history of HSCT as treatment for hematological malignancies and related diseases and who are up to 3.5 years post-transplant; OR
  • Who are up to three and a half years post completion of chemotherapy OR chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer with a curative intent;

AND:

  • With a score equal to or less than 33 on the FACIT-Fatigue scale (see below) and no pre-existing anemia (Hb<10gm/dl); or a score equal to or greater than 43 on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire
  • Who are currently over age 18 and at least age 16 at the time of HSCT or time of breast cancer treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under age 18;
  • Pregnancy;
  • Confounding underlying medical illnesses;
  • History of mania (which is a contra-indication for light treatment) or current clinical depression;
  • And any other physical or psychological impairments including a sleep disorder diagnosis which would limit participation.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Bright white light
using systematic light exposure (SLE), consisting of a daily 30-minute exposure to as much as 10,000 lux of light from a commercially available light box
Device: Bright white light
Other Names:
  • Light Box
  • Litebook
Active Comparator: Dim red light
using systematic light exposure (SLE), consisting of a daily 30-minute exposure to as much as 10,000 lux of light from a commercially available light box
Device: Dim red light
Other Names:
  • Light Box
  • Litebook

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
FACIT-Fatigue Scale
Time Frame: Baseline
A list of statements that patients with cancer have said about their fatigue will be read. Subjects will mark on a 5-point scale how often they have felt each statement over the last 7 days. Measured at baseline, second week of light box use, fourth (last) week of light box use, three weeks post completion of light box use
Baseline
FACIT-Fatigue Scale
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
A list of statements that patients with cancer have said about their fatigue will be read. Subjects will mark on a 5-point scale how often they have felt each statement over the last 7 days.
at 4 weeks
FACIT-Fatigue Scale
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
A list of statements that patients with cancer have said about their fatigue will be read. Subjects will mark on a 5-point scale how often they have felt each statement over the last 7 days.
at 3 months follow up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: Baseline
The validity of the instrument is based on its ability to discriminate patients (those having either sleep problems and/or depressive symptoms) from controls (healthy participants without sleep complaints). Baseline, second week of light box use, fourth (last) week of light box use, three weeks post completion of light box use
Baseline
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
The validity of the instrument is based on its ability to discriminate patients (those having either sleep problems and/or depressive symptoms) from controls (healthy participants without sleep complaints).
at 4 weeks
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
The validity of the instrument is based on its ability to discriminate patients (those having either sleep problems and/or depressive symptoms) from controls (healthy participants without sleep complaints.
at 3 months follow up
SF-36 Scale
Time Frame: Baseline
Quality of life will be assessed using the SF-36 scale. The SF-36 is a multi-purpose, short form health survey consisting of 36 questions.
Baseline
SF-36 Scale
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
Quality of life will be assessed using the SF-36 scale. The SF-36 is a multi-purpose, short form health survey consisting of 36 questions.
at 4 weeks
SF-36 Scale
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
Quality of life will be assessed using the SF-36 scale. The SF-36 is a multi-purpose, short form health survey consisting of 36 questions.
at 3 months follow up
CNS-Vital Signs
Time Frame: Baseline
Objective cognitive function will be assessed using CNS-Vital Signs, a reliable and valid computer-administered cognitive assessment battery that consists of 7 cognitive tests.
Baseline
CNS-Vital Signs
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
Objective cognitive function will be assessed using CNS-Vital Signs, a reliable and valid computer-administered cognitive assessment battery that consists of 7 cognitive tests.
at 4 weeks
CNS-Vital Signs
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
Objective cognitive function will be assessed using CNS-Vital Signs, a reliable and valid computer-administered cognitive assessment battery that consists of 7 cognitive tests.
at 3 months follow up
The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline
A 25-item self-report measure of cognitive difficulties in everyday life using a 5-point Likert scale.
Baseline
The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
A 25-item self-report measure of cognitive difficulties in everyday life using a 5-point Likert scale.
at 4 weeks
The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
A 25-item self-report measure of cognitive difficulties in everyday life using a 5-point Likert scale.
at 3 months follow up
Brief Symptom Inventory-18
Time Frame: Baseline
Used to assess psychological distress. A list of health problems and complaints that people sometimes experience are listed.
Baseline
Brief Symptom Inventory-18
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
Used to assess psychological distress. A list of health problems and complaints that people sometimes experience are listed.
at 4 weeks
Brief Symptom Inventory-18
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
Used to assess psychological distress. A list of health problems and complaints that people sometimes experience are listed.
at 3 months follow up
Actiwatch Spectrum
Time Frame: Baseline
Sleep/wake activity is measured using an actigraph which records physical movement and detects light. The Actiwatch is worn for 72 consecutive hours.
Baseline
Actiwatch Spectrum
Time Frame: at 4 weeks
Sleep/wake activity is measured using an actigraph which records physical movement and detects light. The Actiwatch is worn for 72 consecutive hours.
at 4 weeks
Actiwatch Spectrum
Time Frame: at 3 months follow up
Sleep/wake activity is measured using an actigraph which records physical movement and detects light. The Actiwatch is worn for 72 consecutive hours.
at 3 months follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
University of California, San Diego
Hackensack Meridian Health

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: William H Redd, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2014

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 6, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 6, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 10, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 11, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 7, 2017

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GCO 10-0864
  • 5R21CA158954 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • HSM#11-01032

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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