Colorectal CancerALTERNATIVCCRNCT06779669
Use of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by Colorectal Cancer Patients
A study testing Questionnaire CAM in people with Colorectal Cancer, run by University Hospital, Limoges at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health systems, practices and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine" (Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health, n. d. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Colorectal Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Questionnaire CAM
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 217 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 20 Jan 2025to 10 Apr 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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
- Over 18 years of age
- Diagnosed with colorectal cancer
- To be operated on between 2017 and 2022
Who cannot join
- The patient refuses to give consent to participate in the study
- Non-primary colorectal cancer (metastasis to the colon or rectum from another primary cancer; cancer originating in the appendix)
- Primary metastatic cancer other than colorectal cancer
- Discovery of cancer synchronous with colorectal cancer
- Guardianship or trusteeship
- Cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's, dementia, etc.)
- Severe psychiatric disorder (neurodevelopmental disorder, psychotic disorder, mood disorder, etc.) according to the specific DSM-5 and ICD-11 classifications
- Severe deafness (unable to answer questions during telephone interview)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health systems, practices and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine" (Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health, n. d. 2012). Complementary medicine is used to complement conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used instead of conventional medicine (Dy et al., 2004). These are two very different approaches, whose consequences for a cancer patient can be completely different. The use of CAM is steadily increasing in most countries. A study carried out in France in 2017 revealed that for half of CAM users, the diagnosis of cancer was one of the main factors that led patients to turn to CAM (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2017). CAM use was found to be significantly associated with younger age, female gender and higher education (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2017). The source of information about MAC was mainly friends/family and the media, while doctors and nurses played a succinct role in MAC information (Molassiotis et al., 2005). The most frequently cited reasons for using CAM were to improve their physical well-being, strengthen their bodies, improve their emotional well-being and relieve the side effects of treatment (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2020). Another study carried out in 2019 at nine centers in France showed that 45% of glioma patients had changed their eating habits after glioma diagnosis, 44% were on complementary treatment, mainly vitamins and dietary supplements, and 32% were using alternative medicine, mainly magnetism and acupuncture. A total of 68% reported using at least one of these approaches (Le Rhun et al., 2019). Another single-center study conducted in France in 2019 found that 83% of cancer patients used CAM (M et al., 2019). CAM included osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch, magnetism, naturopathy, cupping, Chinese medicine, reflexology and hypnosis. However, no studies have been carried out to assess the use of CAM among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in France.
- Conditions
- Colorectal Cancer
- Being tested
- Questionnaire CAM
- Keywords
- colorectal cancer, Complementary and alternative medicine
- Medical subject headings
- Colorectal Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Questionnaire CAMOther
Selected patients will answer a questionnaire about their practice and habits with regard to alternative and complementary medicines. Of these patients, 12 will also complete an additional qualitative questionnaire.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary and alternative medicine user | Other | Selected patients will answer a questionnaire about their practice and habits with regard to alternative and complementary medicines. Of these patients, 12 will also complete an additional qualitative questionnaire. Receives: Other: Questionnaire CAM |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
MAC using
Proportion of patients treated at Limoges University Hospital for colorectal cancer (CRC) using MACs
Measured: Month 2
Secondary outcomes (8)
Demographic factors
Demographic factors associated with MAC use (Odds ratio)
Measured: Month 2
Clinical factors
Clinical factors associated with MAC use (Odds ratio)
Measured: month 2
Recurrence time
3-year recurrence time for patients undergoing CRC surgery at Limoges University Hospital (Hazard ratio)
Measured: Month 2
Quality of life
Quality of life assessed by QLQ C30 questionnaire (Odds ratio)
Measured: Month 2
MAC information sources
Description of MAC information sources (frequencies and percentages)
Measured: month 2
Reasons of using MAC
Description of the reasons why patients use or do not use these practices (frequencies and percentages)
Measured: month 2
Effects perceived
Description of effects perceived by MAC users (frequencies and percentages)
Measured: month 2
healthcare professionals' report on MAC
Description of healthcare professionals' report on MAC use (frequencies and percentages)
Measured: month 2
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jan 2025
- Study start20 Jan 2025
- Primary completion25 Apr 2025
- Study completion10 Apr 2026
Why it stopped: Not enough awnser in the qualitative study
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Colorectal CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, LimogesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 217 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Limoges
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Niki CHRISTOU, MD, Principal investigator, University Hospital, Limoges
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06779669
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 87RI24_0033 (ALTERNATIVCCR)
- Acronym
- ALTERNATIVCCR
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 13 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 29 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Use of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by Colorectal Cancer Patients
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06779669
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ALTERNATIVCCR / 87RI24_0033 (ALTERNATIVCCR)
- Conditions
- Colorectal Cancer
- Keywords
- colorectal cancer, Complementary and alternative medicine
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Not enough awnser in the qualitative study
- Enrolment
- 217 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, LimogesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Apr 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health systems, practices and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine" (Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health, n. d. 2012). Complementary medicine is used to complement conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used instead of conventional medicine (Dy et al., 2004). These are two very different approaches, whose consequences for a cancer patient can be completely different. The use of CAM is steadily increasing in most countries. A study carried out in France in 2017 revealed that for half of CAM users, the diagnosis of cancer was one of the main factors that led patients to turn to CAM (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2017). CAM use was found to be significantly associated with younger age, female gender and higher education (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2017). The source of information about MAC was mainly friends/family and the media, while doctors and nurses played a succinct role in MAC information (Molassiotis et al., 2005). The most frequently cited reasons for using CAM were to improve their physical well-being, strengthen their bodies, improve their emotional well-being and relieve the side effects of treatment (Sarradon-Eck et al., 2020). Another study carried out in 2019 at nine centers in France showed that 45% of glioma patients had changed their eating habits after glioma diagnosis, 44% were on complementary treatment, mainly vitamins and dietary supplements, and 32% were using alternative medicine, mainly magnetism and acupuncture. A total of 68% reported using at least one of these approaches (Le Rhun et al., 2019). Another single-center study conducted in France in 2019 found that 83% of cancer patients used CAM (M et al., 2019). CAM included osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch, magnetism, naturopathy, cupping, Chinese medicine, reflexology and hypnosis. However, no studies have been carried out to assess the use of CAM among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in France.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary and alternative medicine user | Other | Other: Questionnaire CAMSelected patients will answer a questionnaire about their practice and habits with regard to alternative and complementary medicines. Of these patients, 12 will also complete an additional qualitative questionnaire. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Over 18 years of age
- Diagnosed with colorectal cancer
- To be operated on between 2017 and 2022
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- The patient refuses to give consent to participate in the study
- Non-primary colorectal cancer (metastasis to the colon or rectum from another primary cancer; cancer originating in the appendix)
- Primary metastatic cancer other than colorectal cancer
- Discovery of cancer synchronous with colorectal cancer
- Guardianship or trusteeship
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Questionnaire CAMSelected patients will answer a questionnaire about their practice and habits with regard to alternative and complementary medicines. Of these patients, 12 will also complete an additional qualitative questionnaire. | Other | Complementary and alternative medicine user |
Primary outcome
MAC using
Time frame: Month 2
Proportion of patients treated at Limoges University Hospital for colorectal cancer (CRC) using MACs
8 secondary outcomes
Demographic factors
Time frame: Month 2
Clinical factors
Time frame: month 2
Recurrence time
Time frame: Month 2
Quality of life
Time frame: Month 2
MAC information sources
Time frame: month 2
Reasons of using MAC
Time frame: month 2
Effects perceived
Time frame: month 2
healthcare professionals' report on MAC
Time frame: month 2
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Not enough awnser in the qualitative study). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Niki CHRISTOU, MD principal investigator
University Hospital, Limoges
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Questionnaire CAM in people with Colorectal Cancer, run by University Hospital, Limoges at 1 site in France.
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 3 inclusion and 8 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: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. 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.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Not enough awnser in the qualitative study). Results are not available in the source record.
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?
MAC using (time frame: Month 2). 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 29 Jun 2026.