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NCT Number: NCT01811862

Acupuncture for Symptom Control in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients

This is a prospective randomized controlled trial to obtain preliminary data for the design of a future definitive efficacy study. A randomized controlled trial is needed because comparison to historical data would be biased. The investigators will use sham acupuncture as the control to account for effect from attention from and interaction with the therapist.

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Key information

Conditions

Multiple Myeloma Blood Protein Disorders Cardiovascular Diseases Hematologic Diseases Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases Hemorrhagic Disorders Hemostatic Disorders Immune System Diseases Immunoproliferative Disorders Lymphoproliferative Disorders Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms, Plasma Cell Paraproteinemias Vascular Diseases

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, 10065, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 21 or above (those age below 21 are usually treated in the Pediatric Transplant Service)
  • Diagnosis of multiple myeloma
  • Scheduled to receive conditioning chemotherapy followed by upfront or salvage autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Exclusion criteria

  • Absolute neutrophil count less than 200/microliter
  • Platelet count less than 20,000/microliter
  • Acupuncture treatment in the preceding 4 weeks prior to Day 1

Treatment and study plan

Acupuncture

Procedure

Patients with multiple myeloma undergoing conditioning myeloablative chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients will be randomized to acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Acupuncture treatment will be delivered once daily starting on Day -1 (Day -2 is the day chemotherapy starts). Acupuncture will continue for 5 days, or, when the patient's absolute neutrophil count drops below 200/microliter or platelet count drops below 20,000/microliter, whichever is sooner. Sham acupuncture will be delivered on the same schedule. Regardless of group assignment, every patient will receive the same usual prevention and treatment regimen for nausea, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue that other patients who are undergoing conditioning chemotherapy in preparation for HSCT will receive in the Transplant Service.

Sham acupuncture

Procedure

Patients with multiple myeloma undergoing conditioning myeloablative chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients will be randomized to acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Acupuncture treatment will be delivered once daily starting on Day -1 (Day -2 is the day chemotherapy starts)Acupuncture will continue for 5 days, or, when the patient's absolute neutrophil count drops below 200/microliter or platelet count drops below 20,000/microliter, whichever is sooner. Sham acupuncture will be delivered on the same schedule. Regardless of group assignment, every patient will receive the same usual prevention and treatment regimen for nausea, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue that other patients who are undergoing conditioning chemotherapy in preparation for HSCT will receive in the Transplant Service.

Primary outcomes

  1. whether acupuncture reduces common symptoms

    Time frame: 2 years

    In patients undergoing chemotherapy prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The primary endpoint is the area-under-curve (AUC) for MDASI total score from Day -2 to Day 5. MDASI scores are assessed daily by having the patient fill out the questionnaire. Severity is assessed for the 13 core MDASI symptom items (pain, fatigue, nausea, disturbed sleep, distress etc..) AUC for MDASI total score from Day -2 to Day 5 will be compared between the acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group.

Secondary outcomes

  1. to assess the effect size for each symptom

    Time frame: 2 years

    Effect size for each symptom will be calculated descriptively. To determine whether baseline characteristics predict response to acupuncture, each will be added as an interaction term to the primary model. The following predictors will be explored: inpatient vs outpatient treatment, upfront vs. salvage transplantation, age, baseline MDASI score, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and use of symptom control medications (yes / no).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Acupuncture for Symptom Control in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients: A Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start
2013
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Mar 15, 2013
Registry last updated
Dec 14, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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