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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01720550

PG2 Treatment for Improving Fatigue Among Advanced Cancer Patients Under Standard Palliative Care

The objective of this study is to conduct a trial in the spirit of providing as much as possible the benefit of PG2 treatment to eligible patients and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of PG2 treatment for relieving fatigue among advanced cancer patients who are under standard palliative care (SPC) at hospice setting and have no further curative options available. Patient's fatigue status, to be measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwanese Form (BFI-T), will be the primary endpoint. The fatigue improvement response rate among patients between two study arms will then be compared as the basis for efficacy evaluation at the end of the first treatment cycle, and will be the primary endpoint. Other endpoints, the fatigue improvement response rate and the mean fatigue scores change from baseline among patients within and between cycles will be included in the secondary efficacy endpoints, and will be compared between two study arms. Patients' quality of sleep, appetite, pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and global quality of life (QoL) will be also measured by 11 questions (SS11) from EORTC(European Organization) for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 for secondary endpoint evaluation. The other secondary endpoints include Karnofsky performance scores, and weight change and its related c-reactive protein level of the patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Cancer-related Fatigue

Age range

20 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 4

Primary location

Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan

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About this study

This is a trial to evaluate use of different doses of PG2 treatment for fatigue improvement in advanced cancer patients who are under standard palliative care at hospice setting and have no further curative options available. Only patients who give consent to participate in this study and meet all other inclusion and exclusion criteria will be eligible to enroll into this study. All patients will continue the standard palliative care (SPC) during this study.

The main aim of this trial is to compare improvement of patient's fatigue status between patients with different doses of PG2 treatment. Patient's fatigue status will be assessed by the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwanese (BFI-T) Form. Each patient's fatigue improvement response will be defined as an improvement in the mean fatigue scores by at least 10% from baseline. Other quality of life parameters will be measured by the 11 questions (SS11) of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and by Karnofsky performance scale. Patient's weight change and its related c-reactive protein will be followed. There are two study arms in this trial: 1) the PG2 High Dose arm; and 2) the PG2 Low Dose arm.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Signed the informed consent form
  • ≧ 20 years old
  • Have locally advanced or metastatic cancer or inoperable advanced cancer
  • Under standard palliative care (SPC) at hospice setting and have no further curative options available
  • BFI score ≧ 4
  • Life expectancy of at least 3 months as determined by the investigator
  • Willing and able to complete quality of life questionnaires

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant or breast-feeding
  • Uncontrolled systemic disease
  • Take central nervous system stimulators within 30 days before screening
  • Have enrolled or have not yet completed other investigational drug trials within 30 days before screening
  • Karnofsky Performance Scores less than 30 %
  • Diagnosed as dying status

Treatment and study plan

Astragalus polysaccharides 500 mg

Drug

PG2 (500 mg in 500 ml saline), t.i.w. via i.v. infusion for 2.5-3.5 hours over 2 treatment cycles (8 weeks)

Other names: PG2 Injection 500 mg

Astragalus Polysaccharides 250 mg

Drug

PG2 (500 mg in 500 ml saline), t.i.w. via i.v. infusion for 2.5-3.5 hours over 2 treatment cycles (8 weeks)

Other names: PG2 Injection 250 mg

Primary outcomes

  1. Fatigue Improvement Response Rate

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Patient's fatigue status will be measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwanese Form (BFI-T). The fatigue improvement response rate among patients between two study arms will be compared as the basis for efficacy evaluation at the end of the first treatment cycle (4th week).

Secondary outcomes

  1. The fatigue improvement response rate among patients within and between cycles (by BFI-T)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  2. The fatigue improvement by multiple BFI-T score percentage change levels among patients between two study arms

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  3. The mean of patients' fatigue score change from baseline within and between cycles (by BFI-T)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  4. Symptoms and Quality of Life Assessments: SS11 from EORTC QLQ-C30 (including the evaluation of the quality of sleep, appetite, pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and global quality of life)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  5. Karnofsky performance score

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  6. The correlation between Weight change and the related blood c-reactive protein level

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  7. Physical Examination

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  8. Labolatory Safety Examination

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Included hematological, biochemical and urine examination

  9. Incidence of Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  10. Vital signs

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  11. Immune Biomarkers

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    This outcome specified for academic research was designed in add-on protocol (only submitted to IRB)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

PhytoHealth Corporation

Industry

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Nov 2, 2012
Registry last updated
Jun 4, 2025

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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