Clinical Research Directory

The Impact of Using Nicorandil for the Prevention of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Breast cancer is one of the world's most common cancers in females. Most of the chemotherapy protocols used to treat breast cancer involve doxorubicin. Doxorubicin has a very significant antitumor effect on breast tumors. One of the obstacles that hinders the use of doxorubicin is cardiotoxicity. Although many agents are used to address this issue, only dexrazoxane is FDA-approved. One suggested pathway for doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is due to calcium imbalance. Calcium ions are very important in controlling the heart's function. Nicorandil is an anti-anginal agent that shows cardioprotective effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in preclinical trials. Not only that, but preclinical studies on rats and mice have also shown that it has antitumor and augmenting effects on doxorubicin's anticancer properties. Here in our trial, the impact of the nicorandil will be assessed on breast cancer patients. The chosen method will be a parallel, open-label, randomized clinical trial. The selected sampling method will be stratified blocks based on radiotherapy and HFA-ICOS baseline scores. The sample size will be 146 patients, who will be randomized using a premuted block. The primary parameter will be the ejection fraction. The secondary parameters will include cardiac troponins, creatine kinase myocardial band, safety assessment of nicorandil use on the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, quality of life after nicorandil use, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of nicorandil, and the quality of life and baseline cardiac scoring system.

Acupuncture as add-on to G-CSF for Febrile Neutropenia-related Hospitalization in Doxorubicin-treated Patients With Sarcoma

Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (CIFN) is a dangerous complication of many chemotherapy drugs, with current treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) accompanied by adverse effects, primarily muscle and bone pain. Adult patients with sarcoma treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy have a high risk (\>40%) for developing CIFN. Acupuncture has been shown to have a potentially myelo-protective effect on bone marrow during chemotherapy, though its effect on the incidence of CIFN-related hospitalization has yet to be examined. In the proposed study, patients with sarcoma will be randomly allocated (in a ratio of 1:1) to Group A, receiving acupuncture during cycles 1, 3, and 5; or Group B, during cycles 2, 4, and 6, with the study oncologist blinded regarding allocation. Acupuncture will be administered on the first day (d1) and the 8th day (d8) of the chemotherapy cycles, with press-tack needles on d1 to d8, and patients will be taught to self-treat with acupressure from d8 to the next cycle. The incidence and duration of hospitalization due to CIFN will be examined, as will adherence to the chemotherapy regimen; G-CSF-related pain; and other outcomes using 3 quality-of-life-focused questionnaires. The study findings will have important implications regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of patients treated with chemotherapy drugs with a high risk for CIFN, such as those used in the treatment of sarcoma.