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Acupuncture to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

This study is no longer recruiting patients.

Sponsored by: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Information provided by: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

Purpose

This study will test the effectiveness 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 Treatment or Intervention Phase
Ovarian Cancer
 Procedure: Acupuncture
Phase II

MedlinePlus related topics:  Ovarian Cancer

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Treatment, Non-Randomized, Open Label, Single Group Assignment, Efficacy Study

Official Title: Effects of Acupuncture on Pain, Nausea, Quality of Life

Further Study Details: 

Expected Total Enrollment:  40

Study start: September 2001;  Study completion: February 2004

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 above,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Female

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria


Location Information


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

Study chairs or principal investigators

David S. Rosenthal, MD,  Principal Investigator,  Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center   

More Information

Study ID Numbers:  1 R21 AT01010-01
Record last reviewed:  June 2004
Record first received:  October 9, 2003
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00070967
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2004-10-22
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