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Pilot Study of Anti-oxidant Supplementation With N-Acetyl Cysteine in Stage 0/I Breast Cancer

Pilot Study of Anti-oxidant Supplementation With N-Acetyl Cysteine in Stage 0/I Breast Cancer

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01878695
Acronym
NAC
Enrollment
13
Registered
2013-06-17
Start date
2012-07-26
Completion date
2015-05-14
Last updated
2025-05-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Post Biopsy, Pre-surgery, Stage 0/1 Breast Cancer

Keywords

Integrative Medicine, Breast Cancer, Stage 0, Stage 1

Brief summary

NAC is the N-acetyl derivative of the naturally occurring amino acid, L-cysteine. It is a common over-the-counter supplement and also is available as an injectable pharmaceutical that protects the liver in cases of acetaminophen overdose. In the exercise physiology literature, both oral and injectable NAC have been shown to reduce fatigue and improve recovery from exertion which has interesting implications for exploring cancer-related fatigue. In terms of cancer cell biology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer

Interventions

DRUGIV/oral n-acetylcysteine

Sponsors

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Demographic • Females ≥18 years of age Disease related * Stage 0/I breast cancer by biopsy (patients may be consented and screened with suspected breast cancer, but no treatment will occur until cancer is confirmed by their biopsy). * Awaiting surgery which will consist of either lumpectomy or mastectomy. * ECOG performance status 0-1 Laboratory * Laboratory values that would not prevent the patient from receiving treatment as determined by the PI or study oncologist * Serum creatinine ≤2.0 mg/dL * Serum bilirubin ≤2.0 X ULN * Serum HgB ≥8.0 mg/dL General * Competent to comprehend, sign, and date an IRB-approved informed consent form * Female subjects of childbearing potential have a negative pregnancy test

Exclusion criteria

* Disease Related * History or known presence of metastases * History of another primary cancer, except: * Curatively treated cervical carcinoma in situ, or * Curatively resected non-melanomatous skin cancer, or * Other primary solid tumor curatively treated with no known active disease present and no treatment administered for ≤ 3 years prior to enrollment * Other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy within 4 weeks as determined by the PI * Any co-morbid disease that would increase risk of toxicity as determined by PI Medications/Treatments * Subjects requiring chronic use of immunosuppressive agents (eg, methotrexate, cyclosporine, corticosteroids) * Recent infection requiring a course of systemic anti-infectives that was completed ≤ 14 days prior to enrollment (exception can be made at the judgment of the PI for oral treatment of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection (\[UTI\]) General * History of any medical or psychiatric condition or addictive disorder, or laboratory abnormality that, in the opinion of the PI, may increase the risks associated with study participation or study drug administration or may interfere with the conduct of the study or interpretation of study requirements * History of bronchospasm or severe asthma as determined by the PI * Subject unwilling or unable to comply with study requirements * Known positive test(s) for human immunodeficiency virus infection, hepatitis C virus, chronic active hepatitis B infection * Documented history of alcohol, cocaine or intravenous drug abuse ≤ 6 months of enrollment

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Efficacy2-4 weeksTo assess the feasibility of evaluating the effect of n-acetylcysteine on tumor cell metabolism by assessing the changes in expression of caveolin -1 and MCT4 in cancer associated fibroblasts in pre and post therapy breast tissue treated with NAC.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Safety2-4 weeksTo confirm the safety of combined oral and IV NAC in patients with breast cancer. This will be evaluated by the number of participants with adeverse events and Grade 3/4 toxicities according to CTCAE v3.0
2. To access the changes in HIF-1 alpha and p65 subunit of NFB in tumor stroma in pre and post therapy breast tissue treated with NAC2-4 weeksTo access the changes in HIF-1 alpha and p65 subunit of NFB in tumor stroma in pre and post therapy breast tissue treated with NAC
To evaluate potential effects of NAC on quality of life and fatigue2-4 weeksTo evaluate potential effects of NAC on quality of life and fatigue using the FACT-G, Brief Fatigue Inventory, and PROMIS quality assessment instruments.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026