Acupuncture for cancer patients undergoing Radiotherapy Treatment

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A feasibility study of Acupuncture to improve quality of life and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing Radiotherapy Treatment (ART)

  • IRAS ID

    180156

  • Contact name

    Tabitha Kavoi

  • Contact email

    randd@uclh.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Joint Research Office, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 8 months, 29 days

  • Research summary

    This application refers to a randomised, controlled, feasibility clinical trial for a fully-powered clinical trial to answer the question ‘Does adding acupuncture to standard care improve quality of life and fatigue in patients undergoing radiotherapy intended to cure their cancer; is it clinically and economically practical to deliver acupuncture in a busy radiotherapy unit ’? This feasibility study will investigate all aspects of the proposed fully-powered study including processes, resources, interventions, procedures, outcomes, and estimate the effect size to enable a power calculation. Acupuncture will be delivered by therapy radiographers employed at the UCH cancer centre with a brief, validated and specific training in acupuncture for cancer, following clearly defined guidelines.

    Patients will be recruited prior to radiotherapy treatment. They will be asked to give informed consent to be randomised to either standard care or standard care plus up to 6 acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture will be delivered by trained radiographers in the UCH Radiotherapy Department. Outcomes include process metrics (recruitment, resources, time constraints, data management); quantitative measures (quality of life, fatigue, symptoms); and qualitative investigation (experience of patients, radiographers and other stakeholders). The trial will be managed through the UCLH Cancer Clinical Trials unit. Statistical analysis will be supervised by Professor Alan Hackshaw, Deputy Director Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre.

  • REC name

    London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/LO/1012

  • Date of REC Opinion

    18 Jun 2015

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion