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Brain and Central Nervous System TumorsPhase 3NCT00666211

Opioid Titration Order Sheet or Standard Care in Treating Patients With Cancer Pain

A Phase 3 study testing educational intervention, Titrated pain management and questionnaire administration in people with Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors and Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders, run by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at 11 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

RATIONALE: An Opioid Titration Order Sheet that allows healthcare providers to adjust the dose and schedule of pain medication may help improve pain treatment for patients with cancer. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 years and older
What is being tested?
educational intervention, Titrated pain management and questionnaire administration
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
98 participants
Where
11 sitesUnited States
Study dates
May 2005to May 2010
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Histologically confirmed carcinoma
  • Cancer-related pain requiring fixed-dose opioid therapy
  • Has received ≥ 1 week of fixed-dose opioid therapy AND meets any of the following criteria:
  • Inadequate pain control as defined by the patient
  • Requires 2 or more rescue doses per day
  • Requires adjustments in pain regimen (either fixed or breakthrough dosing)
  • No pain crisis that requires hospitalization or immediate anesthetic or neurosurgical intervention
  • No predominantly neuropathic pain (e.g., peripheral neuropathy) as assessed by the treating physician

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

  • ECOG performance status 0-2
  • ANC > 1,500/mm³
  • Platelet count > 100,000/mm³
  • Serum bilirubin < 1.5 mg/dL
  • Serum creatinine < 2.5 mg/dL
  • Not pregnant or nursing
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception
  • Nutritional, pulmonary, and cardiac status must be considered adequate to tolerate the proposed study therapy
  • Must be available for active follow-up
  • No documented active psychiatric disorder (i.e., psychosis or major depression) that would preclude informed consent or the patient's ability to comply with study procedures
  • No significant infection
  • No concerns about compliance with medication regimens or medical follow-up
  • No excessive alcohol use

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

  • See Disease Characteristics
  • Concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy allowed

Trial locations and contacts

11 sites in 1 country.

11 sites in 1 country

United States11 sites
  • Erlanger Health System

    Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37403

  • Tennessee Plateau Oncology

    Crossville, Tennessee, 38555

  • Jennie Stuart Medical Center

    Hopkinsville, Kentucky, 44240

  • Center for Biomedical Research

    Knoxville, Tennessee, 37909

  • The Jones Clinic

    Memphis, Tennessee, 38138

  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center - Cool Springs

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37064

  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Franklin

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37064

  • Meharry Medical College

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37208

  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Nashville

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37212

  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-6838

  • Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center at Owensboro Medical Health System

    Owensboro, Kentucky, 42303

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Phase III Randomized Trial of an Opioid Titration Order Sheet Compared to Standard of Care in Patients With Cancer Related Pain.

RATIONALE: An Opioid Titration Order Sheet that allows healthcare providers to adjust the dose and schedule of pain medication may help improve pain treatment for patients with cancer. It is not yet known whether the use of an Opioid Titration Order Sheet is more effective than standard care in treating pain caused by cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying an Opioid Titration Order Sheet to see how well it works compared with standard care in treating patients with cancer pain.

Read the detailed description

OBJECTIVES:

  • To examine the effect of an opioid titration order sheet on pain outcomes.
  • To examine the effect of an opioid titration order sheet on secondary outcomes of function, mood, and quality of life.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Participating centers are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

  • Arm I (usual care): After completion of baseline assessments, patients undergo a standardized pain education program over approximately 15 minutes. The program consists of standard written materials about communicating pain to providers, opioids and side effect management, as well as a tailored discussion about patient concerns and specific information about prescribed opioid medications. Patients are also instructed in the use of the daily pain diary. Patients are then discharged from the clinic with instructions to contact the treating physician (through standard procedures) for problems with pain or side effects. The study staff conducts weekly telephone interviews to prevent changes in patient pain management practice. The treating physician continues to manage pain in their usual manner.
  • Arm II (opioid titration order sheet): After completion of baseline assessments, patients undergo the standardized pain education program and are instructed in the use of the daily pain diary as described in arm I. The treating physician signs an Opioid Titration Order Sheet (OTOS) providing a baseline dose and schedule. The OTOS is faxed to study staff and verified. Patients are then discharged from the clinic with instructions to contact the research nurse for problems with pain or side effects. The treating physician also contacts the study staff if he/she is made aware of any problems pertaining to the patient's pain control. The research nurse, in consultation with study physician, manages pain according to the OTOS and manages opioid side effects using standing orders. Referral to the treating physician is made as needed.

Patients' pain is managed on study for 8 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity, pain crisis, or new site of pain.

Patients complete a demographic questionnaire at baseline and other questionnaires at 2, 4, and 6 weeks (over the telephone) and at 8 weeks (at site or by telephone), including the Functional Assessment Screening Questionnaire (FASQ), the Brief Pain Inventory-Interference (PPI-I), The Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF), and the Quality of life (FACT-G) questionnaire. Patients also complete a pain diary recording daily measures of pain dimensions, analgesic use (i.e., fixed dose opioids, rescue doses, and non-opioids), adjuvant medications, and side effects that prevented the patient from taking medications. Data in the pain diary is transcribed over the telephone on a weekly basis.

Clinical data, including the type of cancer, stage of disease, time since diagnosis, current treatment for cancer, type of pain, time since onset of pain, and time of first opioid prescription, as well as information regarding analgesics (opioid and non-opioid), adjuvant medications, and medications to manage side effects prescribed during the study is collected from patients' medical records. Anticancer and palliative treatment received during the study is monitored via treating physician records.

The physician charts are reviewed after study completion to determine whether pain, treatment, and response are adequately documented and treated. The documentation in the physician charts is compared to the documentation obtained by the study staff during the study.

Being tested
educational intervention, Titrated pain management, questionnaire administration
Keywords
pain, unspecified adult solid tumor, protocol specific, accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute undifferentiated leukemia, adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission, adult acute myeloid leukemia in remission, adult acute myeloid leukemia with 11q23 (MLL) abnormalities, adult acute myeloid leukemia with inv(16)(p13;q22), adult acute myeloid leukemia with t(15;17)(q22;q12), adult acute myeloid leukemia with t(16;16)(p13;q22), adult acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21)(q22;q22), atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL negative, blastic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, mast cell leukemia, meningeal chronic myelogenous leukemia, progressive hairy cell leukemia, initial treatment, prolymphocytic leukemia, recurrent adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Medical subject headings
Central Nervous System Neoplasms, Myeloproliferative Disorders, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Multiple Myeloma, Neoplasms, Plasma Cell, Myelodysplastic Syndromes

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • educational interventionOther

    Participants will be educated on pain management.

  • Titrated pain managementOther

    Pain will be Monitored and Medication Titrated

  • questionnaire administrationOther

    Participants will be given questionnaires to complete.

Study groups in NCT00666211
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Standard of CareActive comparatorStandard pain control drugs.
Receives: Other: educational intervention; Other: questionnaire administration
Opioid TitrationExperimentalPain will be Monitored and Medication Titrated
Receives: Other: educational intervention; Other: Titrated pain management; Other: questionnaire administration

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Pain Intensity

    Patients in each arm will each have 9 measures: daily scores averaged over 1 week with baseline to week 8:

    1. Average daily pain intensity 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst) scale
    2. Worst daily pain intensity 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst) scale

    Measured: Baseline(Week 0) to week 8, Total time frame is 9 weeks.

  2. Pain-related Distress

    Patients in each arm will each have 9 measures: daily scores averaged over 1 week with baseline to week 8. Pain-related distress scale is from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain).

    Measured: Baseline(Week 0) to week 8, Total time frame is 9 weeks.

  3. Pain Duration

    Pain duration in hours 0 to 24

    Measured: at 9 weeks

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Ability to Engage in Activities of Daily Living (ADL)

    The Functional Assessment Screening Questionnaire (FASQ) scale is used, scored at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8. The FASQ consists of 15 questions about ability to perform ADL with minimum score of 1 (easy to perform) to a maximum score of 5 (N/A, meaning someone else performs this activity for the patient or else the patient chooses not to do it). A summary mean score is generated with a minimum score of 1 and a maximum score of 5.

    Measured: Baseline(Week 0) to week 8, Total time frame is 9 weeks.

  2. Interference in Daily Life Due to Pain

    Patients in each arm will each have 5 measures on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) scale: baseline + weeks 2, 4, 6, 8. The BPI consists of 7 questions about interference of pain in daily life, answered on a scale of 0 (does not interfere) to 10 (completely interferes). The summary score is the average from the 7 questions, with higher score indicating greater interference due to pain.

    Measured: 9 weeks

  3. Mood Disturbance

    Patients in each arm will each have 5 measures on the Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF): baseline + weeks 2, 4, 6, 8. The POMS-SF consists of 37 questions, querying 6 mood states (anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, fatigue, and vigor), with responses on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). To generate a summary score, questions on vigor state are first recoded to reverse the scale, so that higher summary scores consistently indicate greater mood disturbance.

    Measured: 9 weeks

  4. Quality of Life

    Each patient in each arm is scored on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) at baseline + week 8 with 4 related sub-scales (physical, social/family, emotional, functional well-being. To generate sub-scale scores, physical and emotional items are reverse coded \& items are then summed, such that higher values indicate better quality of life. Thus, each sub-scale score ranges from 0 (not at all, worse outcome) to 4 (very much, better outcome) with a minimum total score of 0 (worst quality of life) to a maximum of 16 (good quality of life).

    Measured: 9 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Apr 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2005
  3. Primary completionJan 2010
  4. Study completionMay 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
98 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00666211
Sponsor's protocol ID
VICC SUPP 0424
Other IDs
P30CA068485, VU-VICC-SUPP-0424, VU-VICC-040410
Status last verified
Aug 2012
First submitted
23 Apr 2008
Last updated
6 Sep 2012
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing educational intervention, Titrated pain management and questionnaire administration in people with Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors and Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders, run by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at 11 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Sep 2012. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 11 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 6 Sep 2012). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pain Intensity (time frame: Baseline(Week 0) to week 8, Total time frame is 9 weeks.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Sep 2012.

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