carnitine supplementation for the treatment of chemoradiotherapy-induced fatigue in patients with head and neck cancer
- Conditions
- head and neck cancer
- Registration Number
- JPRN-UMIN000020482
- Lead Sponsor
- Kanazawa University Hospital
- Brief Summary
Cancer-related fatigue impairs daily functioning and negatively impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our previous study revealed that cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) impairs the carnitine system and carnitine deficiency leads to poor physical functioning. This open label, randomized, controlled prospective study investigated the effects of L-carnitine administration on plasma carnitine concentration, CRT-induced fatigue, and decline in HRQoL in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients were divided into experimental group (received 1000 mg of oral liquid L-carnitine once daily for 8 weeks) and control group. The primary and secondary endpoints were the change in HRQoL scores and the change in carnitine levels, respectively, from baseline (pre-CRT) to after CRT. The mean total plasma carnitine concentration in the control group decreased significantly, 2 weeks after the end of chemotherapy, while no significant differences were seen in the L-carnitine group. L-carnitine administration, therefore, kept the physical functioning score unchanged. Our study shows that patients who receive CRT experience chemotherapy-induced damage of carnitine homeostasis leading to deficiency of carnitine and impairment of HRQoL. L-carnitine administration is beneficial in improving the HRQoL in patients with HNSCC.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Complete: follow-up complete
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 50
Not provided
severe liver disfunction sereve kidney disfunction Diabetic patient
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method to alleviate cancer-related fatigue in patients receiving chemoradiotherapy at the time after chemo-radiation therapy
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method