Integrative Medicine in Lymphoma Survivors

Official title

Effectiveness of Integrative Medicine Treatments in Lymphoma Survivors

Overview

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. While some are "silent" and only require follow-up, in cases of aggressive lymphoma, treatment is necessary, and usually includes biological drugs, chemotherapy or both. These drugs often cause significant damage to quality-of-life and various symptoms that do not always go away. Although the treatments are often limited in time and with recovery rates over 60%, most patients are left with a significantly impaired quality-of-life and difficulty in returning to their previous life. Many studies, most of which were conducted in breast cancer survivors, show the place of complementary medicine in the recovery process, both in terms of symptom relief and in improving quality-of-life. Few studies have examined the place of complementary and integrative medicine in lymphoma survivors. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of integrative treatments (a combination of conventional and complementary medicine) on quality-of-life of lymphoma survivors, on specific symptoms caused by the disease and its treatment, on economic and social aspects, as well as on the course of the disease. At the hematological unit of Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, patients with lymphoma who have received chemotherapy, biological treatment or both, and have been defined as recovering by the treating hematologist, will be offered a choice of different types of complementary medicine (acupuncture, herbal medicine, mind-body, movement and touch therapies), emotional treatment (conversations with social worker, spiritual guidance), or both, in addition to the medical and nursing care offered to all survivors. Patients who prefer not to come to the clinic for these treatments will be assigned to the control group and will fill out questionnaires only. The duration of the treatments will be six months and follow-up for another two years. The type of treatments the patient will receive will be chosen in coordination between the integrative team and the patient and according to the symptoms. An assessment will be made on the effect of these treatments on quality-of-life of lymphoma survivors (based on questionnaires), including physical, psycho-spiritual and economic aspects, as well as on the course of the disease.

Detailed description

Background: Lymphoma is a malignant disease of the lymph nodes. While some of the lymphomas are indolent and require only follow-up, in cases of aggressive lymphoma or indolent lymphoma with a high burden of disease, treatment is necessary and usually includes biological drugs, chemotherapy or both. These drugs often cause significant damage to quality-of-life, including various symptoms such as fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, neuropathy, as well as psycho-emotional and financial damage surrounding the cessation of work during the treatments. Although the treatments are often limited in time and with recovery rates above 60% in the case of aggressive lymphoma, most patients are left with a significant impairment in the quality-of-life and difficulty in returning to the life before the disease. Survivor clinics are usually located outside the oncology clinics and are designed to help cancer patients return to life after they have recovered from the disease. Many studies, mostly in breast cancer survivors, show the place of complementary medicine in the recovery process, both in terms of relieving symptoms and improving quality-of-life. Few studies have examined the place of complementary medicine in survivor clinics in haemato-oncological patients after intensive and time-limited treatments. In addition, integrative oncology that incorporates both conventional and complementary medicine, is a developing discipline that has been shown to be effective in the relief of many cancer-related symptoms such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, which is common in lymphoma survivors, and other outcomes such as quality-of-life, or even survival.

Hypothesis: In the present study, we assumed that an integrative oncology approach was effective for improving different outcomes of lymphoma survivors including quality-of-life, specific symptoms caused by the disease and its treatment, economic and social aspects, as well as the course of the disease.

Study plan: At the Hematology Unit at Bnai Zion Hospital, adult lymphoma survivors that received chemotherapy, biologic therapy or both during active lymphoma treatment, and are willing to participate in the study, will be recruited up to one year after remission. After completing questionnaires and an initial assessment by the integrative team, the patients will be divided by preference between the control group who will receive the mandatory basic treatment for follow-up after the disease (medical and nursing); and the intervention group who will come to the clinic and receive, in addition to the above, emotional treatments (counseling, spiritual guidance), complementary medicine (acupuncture, herbal supplements, mind-body, touch and/or movement therapies) or both. The type and frequency of complementary therapy will be chosen by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on patient's symptoms and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment. During follow-up, the patients will fill-out a MYCAW questionnaire to assess symptoms in each treatment (or once a month in the control group) and a safety assessment will be performed using the validated Acupuncture-Adverse Events (Acup-AE) questionnaire for acupuncture or targeted questioning for other treatments. Also, the patients will fill-out quality-of-life questionnaires once a month and economic and cognitive evaluation questionnaires once every 3 months. The haemato-oncologist will complete an assessment of the disease state once every 3 months. In addition, 3 months after the end of the treatments, the patients will fill-out all the same questionnaires for follow-up. The haemato-oncologist will perform a medical follow-up on the condition of the disease once every 3 months for two years from the end of the treatments at the survivor clinic.

The primary outcome is the effect of an integrative approach on quality-of-life of lymphoma survivors. Secondary outcomes include the effect of such approach on specific symptoms caused by the disease and its treatment, economic and social aspects, as well as on the course of the disease.

Interventions

• Procedure Acupuncture
  The frequency of acupuncture will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.
• Procedure Mind-body therapy
  The frequency of mind-body therapy (hypnosis, guided imagery) will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.
• Procedure Touch therapy
  The frequency of touch therapy (shiatsu, reflexology) will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.
• Procedure Movement therapy
  The frequency of movement therapy (Tai-Chi, Qi-Qong) will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.
• Dietary supplement Herbal supplements
  The choice of herbal supplement will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.
• Behavioral Emotional treatment
  The frequency of emotional treatments (counseling, spiritual guidance) will be defined by the integrative team in coordination with the patient, based on evidence-based data, patient's symptoms, and preferences. The duration of the intervention will be 6 months from recruitment.

Primary outcome measures

• Quality-of-life by EQ-5D scale [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]

Secondary outcome measures (8)

• Symptom relief [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]
• Cognitive functions [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]
• Perception of disease control [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]
• Economic evaluation [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]
• Adverse events [Time frame: Through study completion: an average of 1 year]
• Relapse of lymphoma [Time frame: 3 years]
• Progression-free survival [Time frame: 3 years]
• Overall survival [Time frame: 3 years]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with a lymphoproliferative disease
• Aged 18 years or older
• Received chemotherapy, biological treatment or both for treating the lymphoproliferative disease
• Defined in remission for less than one year by the haemato-oncologist (maintenance therapy is authorized)
• Can respond to questionnaires
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria: None

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Non-randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

Israel · 1 center

• Bnai Zion Medical Center — Haifa

Identifiers

NCT: NCT05982223 · 0050-23-BNZ

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗