Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26111954›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2015

Management of the respiratory distress symptom cluster in lung cancer: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

Janelle Yorke, Mari Lloyd-Williams, Jacky Smith, Fiona Blackhall, Amelie Harle, June Warden, Jackie Ellis, Mark Pilling, Jemma Haines, Karen Luker and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04069494 (Descriptors and Predictors of Burden and Information Needs on Symptom Self-management in Thai Patients With Lung Cancer and Their Family Caregivers During Palliative Radiotherapy), which is not on this map. Cited by 40 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04069494 completednot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Descriptors and Predictors of Burden and Information Needs on Symptom Self-management in Thai Patients With Lung Cancer and Their Family Caregivers During Palliative Radiotherapy

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorChulabhorn Cancer CenterRan2019 to 2020Enrolled112ConditionsAdvanced Lung Cancer, SymptomsArmsquestionnaires
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Palliative care interventions for thoracic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis identifying the core elements.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Pooled it
  4. Nonpharmacological dyspnoea-relief strategies in lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Janelle YorkeSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Mari Lloyd-WilliamsHealth Services Research, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Jacky SmithCentre for Respiratory and Allergy, University Hospital South Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Fiona BlackhallThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Amelie HarleThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
June WardenSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Jackie EllisHealth Services Research, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Mark PillingSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Jemma HainesAirways Clinic Services, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Lancashire, UK.
Karen LukerSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Alex MolassiotisSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. alex.molasiotis@polyu.edu.hk.

Funding

Medical Research Council G0701918
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBreathlessness, cough and fatigue are distressing symptoms for patients with lung cancer. There is evidence that these three symptoms form a discreet symptom cluster. This study aimed to feasibly test a new non-pharmacological intervention for the management of the Respiratory Distress Symptom Cluster (breathlessness-cough-fatigue) in lung cancer.

methodThis was a multi-centre, randomised controlled non-blinded parallel group feasibility trial. Eligible patients (patients with primary lung cancer and 'bothered' by at least two of the three cluster symptoms) received usual care plus a multicomponent intervention delivered over two intervention training sessions and a follow-up telephone call or usual care only. Follow-up was for 12 weeks, and end-points included six numerical rating scales for breathlessness severity, Dyspnoea-12, Manchester Cough in Lung Cancer scale, FACIT-Fatigue scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, Lung Cancer Symptom Scale and the EQ-5D-3L, collected at baseline, week 4 and week 12.

resultsOne hundred seven patients were randomised over 8 months; however, six were removed from further analysis due to protocol violations (intervention group n = 50 and control group n = 51). Of the ineligible patients (n = 608), 29 % reported either not experiencing two or more symptoms or not being 'bothered' by at least two symptoms. There was 29 % drop-out by week 4, and by week 12, a further two patients in the control group were lost to follow-up. A sample size calculation indicated that 122 patients per arm would be needed to detect a clinically important difference in the main outcome for breathlessness, cough and fatigue.

conclusionsThe study has provided evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of a new intervention in the lung cancer population and warrants a fully powered trial before we reach any conclusions. The follow-on trial will test the hypothesis that the intervention improves symptom cluster of breathlessness, cough and fatigue better than usual care alone. Full economic evaluation will be conducted in the main trial.

Indexed as

AcupressureAgedBreathing ExercisesCoughDyspneaFatigueFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansLung NeoplasmsMalePatient Education as TopicSyndromeBreathlessnessCoughDyspnoeaFatigueLung cancerNon-pharmacological interventionRespiratory symptomsSelf-managementSymptom clusterSymptoms

Identifiers

PMID26111954
PMCPMC4584102

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.