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CancerPhase 2NCT02102178

Occupational Therapy Modulates the Pain in Cancer Patient Under Palliative Care

A Phase 2 study testing Tapestry, Regular occupation therapy and Weaving a scarf on a nail frame in people with Cancer and Terminal Disease, run by Barretos Cancer Hospital.

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

Pain is one of the most incapacitating symptoms because it is a complex experience that includes sensory and emotional perceptions, in which sensory, affective, cognitive, behavioral, cultural and social characteristics interact. Around 79% of advanced cancer cases present pain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Cancer, Terminal Disease, Pain
What is being tested?
Tapestry, Regular occupation therapy and Weaving a scarf on a nail frame
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
58 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jul 2007to Nov 2008
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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

Who may be able to join

  • > 18 years old
  • advanced neoplasia without therapeutic possibilities for cure
  • intensity of pain greater than or equal to 5 on the 10-centimeter VAS.
  • expected to live for more than three months,
  • Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of between 40 and 70%
  • Patients not candidate to palliative and antalgic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
  • Patients or their legal representatives must be able to read, understand and provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Who cannot join

  • Presence of aphasia and/or severe visual disturbances;
  • Patients admitted to hospital for pain control in situations considered to be pain emergencies such as bone fracture, infection, medullary compression or metastasis in the central nervous system
  • Patients with poor cognitive capacity (unable to understand the research questionnaires)

About this study

Official title: Occupational Therapy Modulates the Pain in Cancer Patient Under Palliative

Pain is one of the most incapacitating symptoms because it is a complex experience that includes sensory and emotional perceptions, in which sensory, affective, cognitive, behavioral, cultural and social characteristics interact. Around 79% of advanced cancer cases present pain.

There is evidence that non-pharmacological therapeutic activities are useful for controlling oncological pain and other symptoms resulting from such diseases.

This study evaluated the results relating to pain modulation and improvement of emotional symptoms and quality of life, from an occupational therapy program applied to oncological patients who were receiving palliative care.

Read the detailed description

Occupational therapy provides a variety of practical and psychosocial interventions to enable individuals to adapt to the difficulties that result from advanced disease. In this form of therapy, the use of certain manual play activities are highlighted as a working tool, with the aim of intervening in relation to the limitations and/or physical and psychological diseases. Such interventions may transform some of these patients' interests in life, facilitate the development of undiscovered talents and skills and allow them to discover their artistic, artisanal or physical potentials.

The role and interventions of occupational therapy within palliative care are wide-ranging and challenging, with a vocation to help individuals to value the remainder of their lives and live for the present moment in the best way possible, through providing options for them to keep themselves in a physical and emotional condition that allows them to carry out activities that would be gratifying and stimulating. The effects from this will assist them in preparing for the end of life with more dignity and respect.

The relevance of occupational therapy interventions in relation to oncology and, in particular, palliative care has been little studied. However, it is known that this may contribute towards improving the quality of life in interpersonal relationships and diminishing pain and distress, through providing guidance regarding activities of daily living and through the use of therapeutic activities, especially in relation to hospitalization processes.

Being tested
Tapestry, Regular occupation therapy, Weaving a scarf on a nail frame, Domino game
Keywords
oncological pain, therapeutic activities, occupational therapy.
Medical subject headings
Neoplasms, Pain, Cancer Pain

What participants receive

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

  • TapestryOther

    A gauze screen, wool thread appropriate for tapestry and a large needle were used.

    The entire screen was filled with a striped pattern made of embroidered half-stitches in the individuals' preferred colors. To fill the screen with half-stitches, the needle was always worked in diagonal movements, point to point. The stitches were started keeping a distance of three points from the four edges.

  • Regular occupation therapyOther

    Also called Occupational therapy

    All the patients were followed up daily for 10 days by a single occupational therapist for around 30 minutes, during which they received guidance regarding how best to perform their ADLs, i.e. how to position themselves when sitting down and standing up, dressing and undressing, feeding themselves, performing personal hygiene and undertaking leisure activities, with the aim of protecting their joints, reducing the pain and expending less energy.

  • Weaving a scarf on a nail frameOther

    Weaving a scarf on a nail frame: this activity used a rectangular wooden frame (30 cm x 10 cm), with an empty space in the middle and nails distributed at 1 cm intervals along all sides, together with a crochet needle and wool thread.

    Procedure: The thread was measured out on the frame and all the fringes were cut to the same length. After this, each thread was knotted, leaving a loop that was placed over each nail. A wool thread was tied to the nail at the corner and a zigzag pattern was woven between alternate nails. On the return, the zigzag weave went via the nails that had initially been missed out. Using the crochet needle, the loop of the fringe was pulled across on top of the zigzag. The scarf went on coming out from under the frame. The zigzag sequence and the needle movement were repeated until the scarf reached the desired length.

  • Domino gameOther

    Each player received seven dominos and kept them concealed from the adversaries' eyes. The player with the double-six (domino with the number six at both ends) started the game. If this domino had not been dealt out to any player, the one with the highest double domino started. Following on from this first player, in clockwise direction, each subsequent player placed one domino at one of the ends of the chain that was formed as the dominos were played. If a player did not have a domino that could be played, he would go to the pile and keep on picking up dominos until getting one that would fit. If no such domino existed, the player would then pass his turn on to the next player. The first player to get rid of all his dominos was the winner. If the game became "blocked", i.e. there was no longer any possibility of adding dominos to the chain, the points in each player's hand were counted and the winner was the one with the lowest number of points in his hand.

Study groups in NCT02102178
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group 1 (Intensive occupational therapy)ExperimentalAll patients received pharmacological treatment for pain in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO)'s analgesic ladder and occupational therapy follow-up, with guidance regarding activities of daily living (ADLs). They also carried out therapeutic activities such as embroidery onto gauze (tapestry), weaving a scarf on a nail frame and playing dominos.
Receives: Other: Tapestry; Other: Regular occupation therapy; Other: Weaving a scarf on a nail frame; Other: Domino game
Group 2 (Regular occupation therapy)Active comparatorAll patients received pharmacological treatment for pain in according to WHO's analgesic ladder and only guidance regarding ADLs from the occupational therapist.
Receives: Other: Regular occupation therapy

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in pain intensity

    The pain intensity was assessed every day before and after each intervention by means of the 10 cm VAS. The McGill pain questionnaire was used on the first and last (tenth) day of the study.

    Measured: Before and after occupational therapy intervention every day up to day 10

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Quality of life score

    Quality of life was evaluated by means of the SF-12 Health Survey, which is a shortened version of the SF-36 Health Survey.

    Measured: Baseline and day 10

  2. Anxiety rate

    The anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

    Measured: Baseline and day 10

  3. Depression rate

    The depression symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    Measured: Baseline and day 10

Timeline

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

  1. First posted2 Apr 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2007
  3. Primary completionJul 2008
  4. Study completionNov 2008

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 2
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
58 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02102178
Sponsor's protocol ID
7683857344959085
Status last verified
Mar 2014
First submitted
27 Mar 2014
Last updated
2 Apr 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Kasven-Gonzalez N, Souverain R, Miale S. Improving quality of life through rehabilitation in palliative care: case report. Palliat Support Care. 2010 Sep;8(3):359-69. doi: 10.1017/S1478951510000167.

    PubMed 20875180
  • Sviden GA, Tham K, Borell L. Involvement in everyday life for people with a life threatening illness. Palliat Support Care. 2010 Sep;8(3):345-52. doi: 10.1017/S1478951510000143.

    PubMed 20875178
  • Halkett GK, Ciccarelli M, Keesing S, Aoun S. Occupational therapy in palliative care: is it under-utilised in Western Australia? Aust Occup Ther J. 2010 Oct;57(5):301-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2009.00843.x.

    PubMed 20868419
  • Meredith PJ. Has undergraduate education prepared occupational therapy students for possible practice in palliative care? Aust Occup Ther J. 2010 Aug;57(4):224-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2009.00836.x.

    PubMed 20854596
  • Kumano K, Matsuda N, Matsumoto H, Noguchi A, Tada Y, Koezuka M, Sano K, Kasamatu Y. [The role of occupational therapist in Palliative Care Team]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2010 Sep;37(9):1825-7. No abstract available. Japanese.

    PubMed 20841957
  • Kuhara S, Kakou H, Tokuo M, Nogami M, Takemura J, Hachisuka K. [Palliative rehabilitation of two patients with terminal stage cancer: a visit to patient's home and the provision of advice by a nurse and rehabilitation staff members before discharge--from physical therapist's perspective]. J UOEH. 2009 Dec 1;31(4):359-64. doi: 10.7888/juoeh.31.359. Japanese.

    PubMed 20000010

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Tapestry, Regular occupation therapy and Weaving a scarf on a nail frame in people with Cancer and Terminal Disease, run by Barretos Cancer Hospital.

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

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. 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 2 Apr 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

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

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Change in pain intensity (time frame: Before and after occupational therapy intervention every day up to day 10). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02102178, which also lists 6 linked publications.

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 2 Apr 2014.

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