Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26574487›Full record

ArticleIntegrative cancer therapies2016

A Feasibility Pilot Trial of Individualized Homeopathic Treatment of Fatigue in Children Receiving Chemotherapy.

David Brulé, Biljana Gillmeister, Michelle Lee, Sarah Alexander, Adam Gassas, Eleanor Hendershot, Sue Zupanec, Lee Dupuis, Lillian Sung

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Integrative cancer therapies, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Impact of autologous whole blood administration upon experimental mouse models of acuteThe journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases · 2018
    Article
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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

David BruléUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Biljana GillmeisterThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Michelle LeeThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sarah AlexanderThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Adam GassasThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Eleanor HendershotThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sue ZupanecThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lee DupuisThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lillian SungThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada lillian.sung@sickkids.ca.
Hospital for Sick Children · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFatigue is a major problem in children with cancer. The objective was to examine the feasibility of performing a clinical trial of homeopathic treatment for fatigue in children receiving chemotherapy. MATERIALS: This was a single-institution, open-label, pilot study. Children 2 to 18 years old, diagnosed with cancer, and receiving chemotherapy were eligible. Participants were given individualized homeopathic treatment for a maximum of 14 days. In-home or clinic assessments were conducted up to 3 times weekly. Feasibility was defined as the ability to recruit and administer homeopathy to 10 participants within 1 year. Fatigue was measured using the Symptom Distress Scale daily and the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Module weekly.

resultsBetween April 2012 and April 2014, 155 potential participants were identified. There were 45 eligible and contacted patients; 36 declined participation, 30 because they were not interested; 9 agreed to participate, but 1 participant withdrew prior to treatment initiation. Median length of homeopathic treatment was 10.5 (range = 6 to 14) days. All parents found homeopathic treatment to be easy or very easy to follow.

conclusionsTrials of individualized homeopathy for fatigue reduction in pediatric cancer are not feasible in this context; lack of interest was a primary reason. Alternative approaches to evaluating homeopathy efficacy are needed.

Indexed as

AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFatigueFeasibility StudiesFemaleHomeopathyHumansMaleNeoplasmsPilot ProjectsPrecision MedicineQuality of Lifecancerchildrenfatiguefeasibilityhomeopathypilot

Identifiers

PMID26574487
PMCPMC5739153
OpenAlexW2269851804

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.