Trial reportAnnals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology2017
A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial of creatine for the cancer anorexia/weight loss syndrome (N02C4): an Alliance trial.
Trial report in Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 5 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 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
- Quality of life endpoints in cancer cachexia clinical trials: Systematic review 3 of the cachexia endpoints series.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2024Pooled 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
- Appetite and dietary intake endpoints in cancer cachexia clinical trials: Systematic Review 2 of the cachexia endpoints 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
- Creatine Supplementation in Preclinical Models Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: A Systematic Review.Cureus · 2026Review
- Cancer cachexia: molecular basis and therapeutic advances.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026Review
- Muscle loss in cancer cachexia: what is the basis for nutritional support?Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Review
- A Review of Nutraceuticals in Cancer Cachexia.Cancers · 2023Review
- Exercise and Creatine Supplementation to Augment the Adaptation of Exercise Training Among Breast Cancer Survivors Completing Chemotherapy: Protocol for an Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial (the THRIVE Study).JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Review
- Creatine in T Cell Antitumor Immunity and Cancer Immunotherapy.Nutrients · 2021Review
- Current Evidence and Possible Future Applications of Creatine Supplementation for Older Adults.Nutrients · 2021Review
- Weight loss over time and survival: a landmark analysis of 1000+ prospectively treated and monitored lung cancer patients.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2020Article
- Nutrition interventions to treat low muscle mass in cancer.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2020Review
- Theoretical and Practical Implications of Treating Cachexia in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients.Cancers · 2019Article
- A hunger for hunger: a review of palliative therapies for cancer-associated anorexia.Annals of palliative medicine · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMultiple pilot studies, including one in colorectal cancer patients, suggest that creatine, an amino acid derivative, augments muscle, improves strength, and thereby could palliate the cancer anorexia/weight loss syndrome. PATIENTS AND
methodsIn this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, incurable patients with this syndrome were assigned creatine (20 g/day load×5 days followed by 2 g/day orally) versus identical placebo. Patients were weighed once a week for 1 month and then monthly. Patients were also assessed over 1 month for appetite and quality of life (validated questionnaires), fist grip strength, body composition (bioelectrical impedance), and adverse events. The primary endpoint was 10% or greater weight gain from baseline during the first month.
resultsWithin this combined cohort of 263 evaluable patients (134 received creatine and 129 placebo), only 3 gained ≥10% of their baseline weight by 1 month: two creatine-treated and the other placebo-exposed (P = 1.00). Questionnaire data on appetite, quality of life, and activities of daily living showed no statistically significant differences between groups. Similarly, no statistically significant differences between groups were observed for fist-grip strength or body composition. Rates and severity of adverse events were comparable between groups. Finally, a median survival of 230 and 239 days were observed in the creatine and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.70).
conclusionCreatine, as prescribed in this trial, had no effect on the cancer anorexia/weight loss syndrome.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.