Overview
Megestrol to Limit Weight Loss and Improve Quality of Life in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Status:
Completed
Completed
Trial end date:
2002-09-06
2002-09-06
Target enrollment:
0
0
Participant gender:
All
All
Summary
RATIONALE: Megestrol helps improve appetite. It is not yet known if megestrol is effective in limiting weight loss caused by cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of megestrol in limiting weight loss and improving quality of life in patients who have head and neck cancer and are undergoing radiation therapy.Phase:
Phase 3Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
NoDetails
Lead Sponsor:
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Wake Forest University Health SciencesCollaborator:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)Treatments:
Megestrol
Megestrol Acetate
Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:- Histologically proven resected or unresectable stage I-IV epithelial head and neck
cancer
- Must be scheduled to receive a total dose of radiotherapy of at least 5,000 cGy in
fraction sizes of no greater than 200 cGy
- No distant metastases
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age:
- Over 18
Performance status:
- ECOG 0-2
Life expectancy:
- More than 3 months
Hematopoietic:
- Not specified
Hepatic:
- Not specified
Renal:
- Not specified
Cardiovascular:
- No history of congestive heart failure or thromboembolic events
- No uncontrolled hypertension, active thromboembolic disease, or myocardial infarction
within the past 3 months
Pulmonary:
- No history of pulmonary edema
Other:
- No other malignancy within the past 3 years except curatively treated carcinoma in
situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
- No feeding tube
- No preexisting or uncontrolled diabetes with glycosylated hemoglobin greater than 10%
- No history of Cushing's syndrome
- No dietary restriction (salt, sugar, or lipid)
- No serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study
- No significant ascites, pleural effusions, or edema that may inhibit oral food intake
or invalidate weight measurements
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Negative pregnancy test
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy:
- Not specified
Chemotherapy:
- Prior chemotherapy allowed
Endocrine therapy:
- At least 1 year since prior corticosteroids, estrogens, progestins, or any other
steroid hormone
- No concurrent estrogens or other progestins
- Concurrent glucocorticoid replacement (10 mg of prednisone a day) allowed only if
patient experiences moderate "stress" (e.g., infection, trauma, or fluid loss
sufficient to require hospitalization and/or IV fluid replacement)
Radiotherapy:
- See Disease Characteristics
- No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck
Surgery:
- Not specified