Methylphenidate for Cancer-Related Fatigue Indicate That It Is Certainly Not a Panacea but May Be Effective for Some Groups of P
Posted Jun 03 2010 5:13am
“Cancer-related fatigue can impact a patient’s ability to tolerate therapy and their overall quality of life,” says Debra Barton, R.N., Ph.D., associate professor of oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and an investigator for the study. “While our study did not demonstrate improvement in fatigue for a broad patient population, our results do not rule out some benefit for patients with advanced cancer and point to the need for further research.”
The study included 148 adult patients with cancer-related fatigue. Of these, 74 were randomized to receive long-acting methylphenidate and 74 were randomized to receive a placebo over a four-week period. Patients taking methylphenidate were titrated from 1 to 3 tablets in order to reach the target dose of 54 mg per day. To be part of the study, patients had to report fatigue that was defined as a score of greater than or equal to 4 on an 11-point Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) scale.
Methylphenidate is one of a group of psychostimulants that “wake up” or stimulate the central nervous system in the brain, producing chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which cause a person to be alert. In this study, a long-acting dose was selected to deliver a constant level of medication in the bloodstream throughout the day.
“Cancer-related fatigue can impact a patient’s ability to tolerate therapy and their overall quality of life,” says Debra Barton, R.N., Ph.D., associate professor of oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and an investigator for the study. “While our study did not demonstrate improvement in fatigue for a broad patient population, our results do not rule out some benefit for patients with advanced cancer and point to the need for further research.”
The study included 148 adult patients with cancer-related fatigue. Of these, 74 were randomized to receive long-acting methylphenidate and 74 were randomized to receive a placebo over a four-week period. Patients taking methylphenidate were titrated from 1 to 3 tablets in order to reach the target dose of 54 mg per day. To be part of the study, patients had to report fatigue that was defined as a score of greater than or equal to 4 on an 11-point Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) scale.
Methylphenidate is one of a group of psychostimulants that “wake up” or stimulate the central nervous system in the brain, producing chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which cause a person to be alert. In this study, a long-acting dose was selected to deliver a constant level of medication in the bloodstream throughout the day.