Cancer-related fatigue can linger long after treatments are ended, making daily activities harder and diminishing quality of life (QOL). But researchers from University of Alabama in Birmingham and Harvard Medical School in Boston suggest a nonpharmaceutical way to help patients feel better: placebo.
They compared an open-label placebo with treatment as usual in patients with cancer-related fatigue in a 21-day controlled trial. The patients had completed cancer treatment 6 months to 10 years prior to enrollment. Of 74 patients, 28 reported a moderate level of fatigue and 46 reported a severe level. The mean fatigue scores at baseline were similar for both groups.
The participants randomly assigned to placebo took 2 placebo pills twice a day. At 21 days, the average difference in scores was statistically significant. The placebo group reported a 29% improvement in fatigue severity and a 39% improvement in fatigue-disrupted QOL. Put another way, 76% of the placebo group had a change score above the mean change score of the usual-treatment group. The results were clinically meaningful, the researchers say. Moreover, there were no reported adverse events or adverse effects.
After that main study, the researchers also conducted a 21-day exploratory crossover extension, which began 1 week later. Their findings supported the main study results, with the same magnitude of improvement. The usual-treatment patients who chose to try the placebo also reported a similar magnitude of reductions in fatigue severity (23%) and fatigue-disrupted QOL (35%).
Interestingly, the effects seemed to be sustained, the researchers say. At day 48, there was no significant change in fatigue scores compared with day 21, an “exciting” preliminary finding they say that needs further exploration.
Source:
Hoenemeyer TW, Kaptchuk TJ, Mehta TS, Fontaine KR. Scientific Reports . 2018;8:2784.
doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20993-y.