Background Cancer Cachexia (CC) is a multi-factorial process characterized by progressive weight loss, muscle mass and fat tissue wasting, and adversely affecting their quality of life and survival in patients with advanced stage of cancer. Megestrol acetate (MA), which can help maintain body weight in advanced cancer patients, has not been proven to be effective in improving quality of life or lean body mass. Furthermore, its use is often limited due to various adverse event such as Cushing syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, or thromboembolic risk. CC has a complex and multi-factorial pathophysiology, and there is no established standard treatment. Hypothesis CC is irreversible once it occurs and is also difficult to suppress its progression with any single treatment modality. The investigators hypothesized that a multi-modal intervention comprised of anti-inflammation, omega-3-fatty acids, oral nutritional supplement with counselling by nutritionist, physical exercise, psychiatric intervention as well as Bojungikki-tang which mediates immune-modulation and reverse both of chronic inflammation and wasting condition as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) could prevent the development of CC or improve the CC in advanced cancer patients during chemotherapy compared to those who received usual supportive.
\[PICOT\] Population: Patients with recurrent or metastatic solid cancer (gastric, colorectal, pancreas, biliary tract and lung) Intervention: Multimodal treatment Comparison: Conventional palliative care Outcome: Change of total lean body mass, Change of handgrip strength Time: 12 weeks of study period for each subject during the first- or second-line palliative chemotherapy
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
112
Daily oral medications: ibuprofen 400 mg three times a day, omega-3-fatty acid 1 g twice a day, Bojungikki-tang 3.75g twice a day, oral nutritional supplement (HAMONILAN SOLN) 200 ml twice a day Weekly physical exercise by physiatrist (60 minutes per visit) Biweekly psychiatric intervention Nutritional counselling total four times during the study period
Kyung Hee University Hospital
Seoul, South Korea
RECRUITINGMedian change (kilogram, kg) in total lean body mass (LBM)
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in handgrip strength
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in fat mass
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in total body mass
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in body weight (kg)
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by the calibrated scale
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in lean body mass of trunk
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Median change (kg) in lean body mass of both upper and lower extremities
The average of the change (kg) from baseline at week 7 and change from baseline at week 13 measured by DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week13
Change from Anorexia-Cachexia scale
Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment (FAACT) version 4, The higher the score, the better the quality of life (QoL) with range 0-156.
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week 13
Change in quality of life (QoL)
The EORTC QLQ-C30 (Version 3) uses for the questions 1 to 28 a 4-point scale. The scale scores from 1 to 4: 1 ("Not at all"), 2 ("A little"), 3 ("Quite a bit") and 4 ("Very much"). Half points are not allowed. The range is 3. For the raw score, less points are considered to have a better outcome. The EORTC QLQ-C30 (Version 3) uses for the questions 29 and 30 a 7-points scale. The scale scores from 1 to 7: 1 ("very poor") to 7 ("excellent"). Half points are not allowed. The range is 6. First of all, raw score has to be calculated with mean values. Afterwards linear transformation is performed to be comparable. More points are considered to have a better outcome.
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week 13
Rate of toxicity with clinical significance, and possible relationship to either study intervention
Assessed by the investigator, based on toxicity grade (according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events \[NCI CTCAE\] v5.0)
Time frame: Change of value between baseline and week 13
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