Trial reportNutrition journal2012
L-Carnitine-supplementation in advanced pancreatic cancer (CARPAN)--a randomized multicentre trial.
Trial report in Nutrition journal, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02681601 (Nutrition Support to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer), which is not on this map. Cited by 55 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Nutrition Support to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oncological and Survival Endpoints in Cancer Cachexia Clinical Trials: Systematic Review 6 of the Cachexia Endpoints Series.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025Pooled it
- Body weight and composition endpoints in cancer cachexia clinical trials: Systematic Review 4 of the cachexia endpoints series.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2024Pooled it
- Biomarker endpoints in cancer cachexia clinical trials: Systematic Review 5 of the cachexia endpoint series.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2024Pooled it
- Physical function endpoints in cancer cachexia clinical trials: Systematic Review 1 of the cachexia endpoints series.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2023Pooled it
- Nutritional Interventions during Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Nutritional Interventions to Improve Cachexia Outcomes in Cancer-A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Pooled it
- Efficacy and Effectiveness of Carnitine Supplementation for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2017Pooled it
- A systematic review on the role of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other supplements for the treatment of cachexia in cancer: a European Palliative Care Research Centre cachexia project.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2017Pooled it
- Can levocarnitine supplementation improve fatigue caused by sunitinib as a treatment for renal cell carcinoma? A single-center prospective pilot study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2019Trial
- Early Parenteral Nutrition in Patients with Biliopancreatic Mass Lesions, a Prospective, Randomized Intervention Trial.PloS one · 2016Trial
- Effect of L-carnitine on exercise performance in patients with mitochondrial myopathy.Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologica · 2015Trial
- Blocking L-carnitine synthesis by meldonium prolongs the survival in mice with pancreatic cancer.iScience · 2026Article
- Cancer cachexia: molecular basis and therapeutic advances.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026Review
- GSTK1 suppresses HCC aggravation via L-carnitine metabolism by PGAM5/DRP1 complex-mediated mitochondrial quality control.Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · 2025Article
- Review
- Global metabolomic profiling of tumor tissue and paired serum samples to identify biomarkers for response to neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX treatment of human pancreatic cancer.Molecular oncology · 2025Article
- Prooxidant state in anticancer drugs and prospect use of mitochondrial cofactors and anti-inflammatory agents in cancer prevention.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Review
- Muscle loss in cancer cachexia: what is the basis for nutritional support?Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Article
- Influence of Amino Acids and Exercise on Muscle Protein Turnover, Particularly in Cancer Cachexia.Cancers · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCachexia, a >10% loss of body-weight, is one factor determining the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Deficiency of L-Carnitine has been proposed to cause cancer cachexia.
findingsWe screened 152 and enrolled 72 patients suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer in a prospective, multi-centre, placebo-controlled, randomized and double-blinded trial to receive oral L-Carnitine (4 g) or placebo for 12 weeks. At entry patients reported a mean weight loss of 12 ± 2.5 (SEM) kg. During treatment body-mass-index increased by 3.4 ± 1.4% under L-Carnitine and decreased (-1.5 ± 1.4%) in controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, nutritional status (body cell mass, body fat) and quality-of-life parameters improved under L-Carnitine. There was a trend towards an increased overall survival in the L-Carnitine group (median 519 ± 50 d versus 399 ± 43 d, not significant) and towards a reduced hospital-stay (36 ± 4d versus 41 ± 9d,n.s.).
conclusionWhile these data are preliminary and need confirmation they indicate that patients with pancreatic cancer may have a clinically relevant benefit from the inexpensive and well tolerated oral supplementation of L-Carnitine.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.