Acupuncture to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Effects of Acupuncture on Pain, Nausea, Quality of Life

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Ovarian Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Acupuncture

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 Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David S. Rosenthal, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2001
• Study Completion: February 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 9, 2003
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 10, 2003
• First Posted (Estimate): October 13, 2003

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 18, 2006
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2006
• Last Verified: July 1, 2006

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of Life; Acupuncture; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Complementary Therapies; TCM
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT001010-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)