Alterations in the Vaginal Microenvironment Using a Non-pharmacological Intervention

September 27, 2021 updated by: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Alterations in the Vaginal Microenvironment Using a Non-pharmacological Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Aromatase Inhibitors

Breast cancer patients commonly take medications to reduce the risk of recurrence, including aromatase inhibitors (AIs). AIs can cause significant side effects that reduce patient adherence. Early discontinuation of AI therapy results in an increased risk of cancer recurrence and increased risk of breast cancer-related death. Common side effects include vaginal dryness and vulvovaginal atrophy leading to worsening sexual function. To increase AI adherence, the investigators will study a non-pharmaceutical Vaginal Renewal Program (VRP) aimed at stimulating nitric oxide production to consequently increase vaginal lubrication, and improve the symptoms of vulvovaginal atrophy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

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.
2

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.
  • Phase 2

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
    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53792
        • University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

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

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Have completed active primary treatment

    • defined as surgery chemotherapy and/or radiation for the treatment of breast cancer
    • Does not include immunotherapy or other targeted therapies such as trastuzumab, CDK 4/6 or mTOR inhibitors
  • Have been receiving AIs for at least 6 months prior to enrollment
  • Plan to continue AIs for an additional 3 months
  • Amenorrhea for at least 12 months at enrollment
  • Participants must be able to read and write in English
  • Participants must have < 2% superficial vaginal cells on cytologic evaluation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pre-existing hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction identified in the medical record
  • Unresolved or recurrent vaginismus identified in the medical record
  • Aversion to touching one's own body, including genitals, or using vibration therapy on the genitals
  • Currently receiving estrogen therapy, including topical and/or systemic estrogens
  • Have received estrogen therapy within 6 months of study enrollment, including topical and/or systemic estrogens
  • Any surgical procedure to the vagina or vulva, excluding office biopsies, within the previous 12 months
  • Receipt of pelvic or vaginal or vulvar radiation therapy within the 12 months prior to enrollment or if the subject is anticipated to receive radiation targeted to any of these 3 locations within 6 months following enrollment
  • Any use of the VRP off study within the last 6 months

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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.
Experimental: VRP Therapy
All subjects on this study will receive the Vaginal Renewal Program intervention. Enrolled subjects will receive inperson instruction on how to perform the VRP. Subjects will be encouraged to use the device for 3-4 days per week for 5 minutes at a time.
Device: Vaginal Renewal Program
Therapeutic vibrating wand.
Other Names:
  • FeMani Vibrating Massage Wand

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
Percentage of Superficial Vaginal Cells
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
The investigators expect the percentage of superficial vaginal cells to be greater at the post-intervention time point when compared to the pre-intervention time point. If the percentage of superficial vaginal cells is ≥ 4% following the intervention, then the response will be considered positive.
up to 12 weeks

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
Change in Vaginal pH
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Changes in the vaginal pH will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the changes correlate with changes in the primary outcome and with patient reported outcomes. Given the longitudinal nature of the study, linear and generalized linear mixed effects models will be fit to the data gathered. The restricted maximum likelihood (REML) criterion will be used and 95% semi-parametrically bootstrapped confidence intervals will be obtained for all parameters. All statistical analyses will be conducted using R (R Core Team 2014).
up to 12 weeks
Patient Reported Outcomes: Number of Subjects With Improved Anxiety
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Number of subjects with improved anxiety outcomes per over baseline. The PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Emotional Distress - Anxiety scale measures patient perceived changes in anxiety and includes 8 questions that they answer about their emotional state in the past 7 days. Descriptive answers are scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The total possible range of scores is from 8-40, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
up to 12 weeks
Patient Reported Outcomes: Number of Subjects With Improved Depression
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Number of subjects with improved depression outcomes over baseline. The PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Emotional Distress - Depression scale measures patient perceived changes in depression and includes 8 questions that they answer about their emotional state in the past 7 days. Descriptive answers are scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The total possible range of scores is from 8-40, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
up to 12 weeks
Patient Reported Outcomes: Number of Subjects With Improved Sexual Function Outcomes
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Number of subjects with improved sexual function outcomes over baseline. The PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Sexual Function Profile scale measures patient perceived changes in sexual function and includes 10 questions that they answer about their functional state. Descriptive answers include 'Not at all', 'A little bit', 'Somewhat', 'Quite a bit', or 'Very', and will be summarized with descriptive statistics.
up to 12 weeks
Patient Reported Outcomes: Number of Subjects With Improved Global Health
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Number of subjects with improved global health over baseline. The PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Global Health scale measures patient perceived changes in health and includes 10 questions that they answer about their perceived health in the past 7 days. Higher scores indicate a higher perceived level of overall health.
up to 12 weeks
Patient Reported Outcomes: Number of Subjects With Improved Sex Life
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Number of subjects with improved sex life over baseline. The PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Global Satisfaction with Sex Life scale measures patient perceived changes in the satisfaction of their sex life and includes 7 questions that they answer about their perceived state. Descriptive answers include 'Not at all', 'A little bit', 'Somewhat', 'Quite a bit', or 'Very', and will be summarized with descriptive statistics.
up to 12 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Adherence to AI Therapy
Time Frame: up to 12 weeks
Adherence to AI therapy will be determined using patient-reported logs.
up to 12 weeks

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.
University of Wisconsin, Madison

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.
American Cancer Society, Inc.

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: Ryan Spencer, University of Wisconsin, Madison

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.

Helpful Links

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 (Actual)

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.
November 19, 2019

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.
March 10, 2020

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.
March 10, 2020

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).
November 9, 2018

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.
November 9, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

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.
November 14, 2018

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.
October 20, 2021

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.
September 27, 2021

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.
August 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • UW17032
  • A532820 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • 2018-0633 (Other Identifier: Institutional Review Board)
  • SMPH/OBSTET & GYNEC/GYNEC ONC (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • NCI-2018-02729 (Registry Identifier: NCI Trial ID)
  • Protocol Version 10/3/2019 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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