Overview

Essiac (ESIAK) Versus Placebo to Improve Quality of Life in Transition in Women With Breast or Ovarian Cancer.

Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2007-07-01
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
Female
Summary
This is a pilot feasibility study being performed in women completing front-line treatment for breast or ovarian cancer. It is being done to evaluate whether or not an herbal combination known as Essiac (ESIAK) can improve the overall quality of life in these women as they transition from active treatment to follow-up, also known as the quality of life in transition. This information will be used to design a larger randomized trial.
Phase:
N/A
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
No
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria

- histologically documented diagnosis of infiltrating carcinoma of the breast or
epithelial ovarian cancer. Given the similar clinical course of patients with
fallopian tube and primary peritoneal carcinoma these patients will also be included
in the study.

- Voluntary written informed consent before performance of any study-related procedure
not part of normal medical care, with the understanding that consent may be withdrawn
by the subject at any time without prejudice to future medical care.

- Patients must be either post-menopausal or surgically sterilized or willing to use an
acceptable method of birth control (ie, a hormonal contraceptive, intra-uterine
device, diaphragm with spermicide, condom with spermicide, or abstinence) for the
duration of the study.

- Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test. If patients
become pregnant during the course of the study, they will not be allowed to continue
on the study.

- age ≥ 18 year-old

- Karnofsky performance status > 70%

- Ability to understand and willingness to sign informed consent

- Ability to perform and comply with follow-up on study

- No history of drug or alcohol abuse

- No antecedent history of depression prior to diagnosis of malignancy

- Must be ≥ 4 weeks from completion of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

- Adequate hematopoietic function defined as: ANC ≥ 1500/mm3; Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm3;
Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL.

- Adequate renal and hepatic function defined as: Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of
normal (ULN); SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN; Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN; Creatinine ≤
2 times ULN.

- For patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer
(EOC/FT/PPC): patients must have completed front-line treatment within 3 months of
study entry and in a complete remission; Patients treated with neoadjuvant
platinum-based chemotherapy prior to definitive surgery will be eligible; If serum
CA-125 was elevated at diagnosis, it must also have normalized by end of treatment.

- For patients with breast cancer: patients must have completed adjuvant treatment with
chemotherapy and radiation therapy (if recommended) within three months of study entry
and deemed in complete remission; Treatment must have included adjuvant chemotherapy
and radiation if recommended; Patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy will be eligible
following completion of all adjuvant chemotherapy if indicated. Patients receiving
hormonal therapy following chemotherapy will be eligible to participate. However,
patients placed on Tamoxifen or other hormonal agents in lieu of chemotherapy will not
be eligible.

Exclusion Criteria

- history or active secondary cancer within the last 5 years, except for superficial
basal cell skin cancers

- residual chemotherapy-induced CTCv3.0 Grade 2 or greater non-hematologic toxicity

- they are unable to give informed consent

- they are unable to adhere to protocol

- Serious medical or psychiatric illness likely to interfere with participation in this
clinical study

- concurrent uncontrolled illness

- ongoing or active infection