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Light Therapy to Increase Energy in Adolescents and Young Adults Newly Diagnosed With Solid Tumors: A Pilot Study

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Neoplasms
Fatigue
Interventions
Other: Dim Red Light
Other: Bright White Light
Registration Number
NCT02429063
Lead Sponsor
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Brief Summary

Fatigue is one of the most consistent and distressing symptoms reported by pediatric oncology patients. The investigators' work has demonstrated that in the period from diagnosis through the initial 8 weeks of treatment, adolescents and young adults with solid tumors experience substantial fatigue that is not related to sleep disruption. Fatigue can contribute to many adverse outcomes including poor treatment adherence, reduced social activities, depressive symptoms, behavior problems, and poorer quality of life. Unfortunately, no definitive intervention to reduce fatigue has been developed for pediatric oncology patients. Investigators propose a study to estimate the feasibility and acceptability of bright light therapy as an intervention to decrease fatigue in adolescents and young adults who are newly diagnosed and receiving treatment for solid tumors, including lymphoma.

Detailed Description

This feasibility and acceptability study will assess the rate of consent to, adherence to, and side effects from a therapy study in a randomized trial comparing bright white light (BWL) to dim red light (DRL). Four questionnaires will be distributed to patients and/or their parents, depending upon the questionnaire, to study the fatigue, quality of life, mood symptoms, and side effects of the BWL/DRL intervention in adolescents and young adults being treated for solid tumors, including lymphoma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

* To estimate the feasibility and acceptability of a BWL intervention compared to a DRL standard comparison group in adolescent/young adult solid tumor and lymphoma patients.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

* To estimate the effect size of this intervention on measures of fatigue in order to design a larger clinical trial of efficacy of a randomized control trial of BWL versus DRL intervention for fatigue in pediatric oncology patients.

OTHER PRESPECIFIED OBJECTIVES:

* Estimate the effect of participant location (inpatient, hospital-based housing, or home) on adherence.

* Estimate rates of depressive symptoms.

* Describe quality of life.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
55
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Dim Red LightDim Red LightParticipants use the dim red light intervention for 30 minutes upon waking each morning for 60 days.
Bright White LightBright White LightParticipants use the bright white light intervention for 30 minutes upon waking each morning for 60 days.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rate of consentDay 0

Estimate the rates of consent to a BWL intervention, compared to DRL in adolescent/young adult solid tumor and lymphoma patients.

Rate of adherenceAt the end of therapy (Day 60)

Estimate the rates of adherence to the intervention in adolescent/young adult solid tumor or lymphoma patients for each group.

Rate of side effectsAt the end of therapy (Day 60)

Estimate rates of side effects in a light therapy intervention trial.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rate of fatigueAt the end of therapy (Day 60)

Estimate the rates of fatigue between the intervention and comparison groups. Fatigue will be measured by self- and parent-report with the 18-item PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS) that includes three subscales: (1) general fatigue (six items), (2) sleep/rest fatigue (six items), and (3) cognitive fatigue (six items).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St . Jude Children's Research Hospital

🇺🇸

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

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