Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer and Fallopian Tube Cancer Patients Using Complementary Alternative Medicine

Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer and Fallopian Tube Cancer Patients Using Complementary Alternative Medicine

RATIONALE: Chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Hypnosis, massage therapy, and healing touch may improve the quality of life of patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well giving hypnosis, massage therapy and healing touch changes outcomes in women receiving chemotherapy for newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cavity cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine whether quality of life is improved in patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cavity cancer receiving hypnosis, massage therapy, and healing touch and standard chemotherapy as compared to patients receiving standard chemotherapy alone.

Secondary

• Determine changes in immunologic response markers, chemotherapy side effects, and complication rates in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

• Arm I (standard therapy): Patients undergo standard chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.
• Arm II (standard therapy with complementary alternative medicine): Patients undergo chemotherapy as in arm I. Patients also undergo massage over approximately 30 minutes and healing touch therapy over approximately 30 minutes with each course of chemotherapy 1-6 and hypnosis over 30-60 minutes during courses 1, 2, and 4.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, during courses 3 and 6 of chemotherapy, and then 6 months after completion of study treatment.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 6 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer, any pathologic type or stage, who will receive 6 cycles of chemotherapy.
• Patients must have signed an informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous cancer other than skin cancer
• Previous chemotherapy experience
• Active substance abuse
• Schizophrenia
• Pregnant or lactating