Oncologic Complications, Symptoms and Signs
Conditions
Keywords
Integrative medicine, Integrative oncology, Acupuncture, Touch therapy, Wellbeing
Brief summary
The use of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) among oncology patients is widespread, with a large body of research-based evidence supporting the ability of these therapies to alleviate symptoms related to cancer and its treatment. Organizations such as the American Society for Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology have included CIM modalities in their treatment guidelines, and many of today's leading cancer centers include CIM in their supportive care service. The proposed study will prospectively examine the impact of a CIM treatment program on the symptom burden, quality of life and function of patients undergoing active oncology treatment. A total of 750 patients will undergo an integrative oncologist (IP) consultation followed by a series of 8 CIM treatments consisting of either acupuncture or touch-related therapies (reflexology, Shiatsu, Tuina, etc.) with the goal of relieving their symptoms. Patients will be allocated to one of the two study treatment arms: the "Patient-Preference Arm", for patients who specify their preference for either acupuncture or touch therapy; and the "Randomized Treatment Arm", for those with no preference, to be randomly allocated to either the acupuncture or touch-therapy subgroup. Patients will be asked to complete the following study questionnaires before and after the treatment regimen: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30); the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS); and the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) tool. The primary study outcome will be the change in EORTC Global Health-Status / Quality of Life scores, from pre- to post-treatment. Secondary study outcomes will include EORTC QLQ-C30 functional and symptom scales, single items assessing additional symptoms commonly reported by cancer patients, and perceived financial impact of the disease; ESAS severity scores for 10 quality-of life related items; and MYCAW severity scores for the 2 most significant symptoms, as well as post-treatment narratives. Other secondary outcomes to be assessed include the safety of the study treatments (adverse effects); adherence to conventional treatment regimen; and narratives from the patient's informal caregiver (spouse, parent/child, sibling, friend, etc.).
Interventions
OTHERAcupuncture
Acupuncture points will be selected on an individualized and symptom-directed basis, with the incorporation of points shown in clinical research to be effective for specific symptoms
OTHERTouch Therapies
Touch therapies are to include Reflexology, Shiatsu and Therapeutic Touch
Sponsors
Shaare Zedek Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Patient-preference, pragmatic methodology
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* age ≥ 18 years * undergoing active oncology treatment * fully understand the study plan * agree to sign the study informed consent form.
Exclusion criteria
* not fulfilling all of the study criteria * not interested in attending all 8 weekly CIM treatments sessions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status / QoL scale | 8 weeks | Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week integrative treatment program |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status / QoL scale | 16 weeks | Change from baseline and 8-week assessment to 16 week follow-up |
| EORTC QLQ-C30 - additional outcomes | From baseline to 8- (end of treatment program) and 16-week (post-program) assessment | Change in functional and symptom scores |
| ESAS symptom severity scores | From baseline to 8- (end of treatment program) and 16-week (post-program) assessment | Change in severity scores for 10 quality-of life related items |
| MYCAW symptom severity scores | From baseline to 8- (end of treatment program) and 16-week (post-program) assessment | Change in severity scores for the 2 most significant symptoms, as well as post-treatment narratives |
| Frequency of adverse effects | At the end of the series of 8 weekly CIM treatment sessions (≤ 2 weeks after the last treatment session); after 16 weeks from baseline. | Any reported adverse events taking place during the study period which are considered to have possibly/probably resulted from the CIM intervention |
| Adherence to conventional oncology treatment regimen | At 16 weeks from baseline. | Adherence to oncology treatment to be measured using the Relative Dose Intensity (RDI) calculation |
| Caregiver expectations | At baseline | Narratives from the patient's informal caregiver (spouse, parent/child, sibling, friend, etc.). |
Countries
Israel
Contacts
CONTACTNoah Samuels, M.D.
Outcome results
None listed