Shark Cartilage in Treating Patients With Advanced Colorectal or Breast Cancer

Overview

RATIONALE: Shark cartilage extract may help shrink or slow the growth of colorectal cancer or breast cancer cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of shark cartilage in treating patients who have advanced colorectal cancer or advanced breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: * Determine whether the addition of powdered shark cartilage (BeneFin™) to standard therapy improves overall survival in patients with advanced colorectal or breast cancer. * Determine whether this therapy has any impact on toxicity in these patients. * Determine whether this therapy improves the quality of life in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to disease type (breast vs colorectal female vs colorectal male), age (49 and under vs 50-69 vs 70 and over), ECOG performance status (0-1 vs 2), baseline quality of life (UNISCALE rating less than 50% vs 50-75% vs more than 75%), and concurrent chemotherapy (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (16)

Outcomes