Trial reportThe oncologist2022
Open-Label Placebo for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in The oncologist, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 4 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
16 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Methodologic challenges of patient reported outcome research: A systematic review of the treatment of cancer related fatigue with open label placebos and the trials.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of open-label placebos across populations and outcomes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Open label placebo for chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Pain management · 2025Pooled it
- Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO-Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024Guideline
- Open-Label Placebos as Adjunct for the Preventive Treatment of Migraine: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Dexamethasone for 12 weeks for reducing fatigue in patients receiving palliative chemotherapy: A Phase 3, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Controlled Trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Review
- Red blood cell transfusions in advanced cancer near the end-of-life: narrative review.BMJ supportive & palliative care · 2026Review
- Review
- The Possibility of Open-Label Use of Placebo in Healthcare Practice: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical Trials.Cureus · 2025Review
- Open label placebo to treat fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis: feasibility and preliminary effects.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2025Article
- Putting Methylphenidate for Cancer-Related Fatigue to Rest?Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024Article
- Translating knowledge on placebo and nocebo effects into clinical practice.Pain reports · 2024Article
- Test-retest repeatability for Fatigue Assessment Scale, Short-Form 6-Dimension and King's Sarcoidosis Questionnaire in people with sarcoidosis associated fatigue.Sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and diffuse lung diseases : official journal of WASOG · 2023Article
- Management of Fatigue in Patients with Advanced Cancer.Current treatment options in oncology · 2023Review
- Design recommendations for studies that evaluate multiple sclerosis fatigue interventions.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
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 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an open-labeled placebo (OLP) compared to a waitlist control (WL) in reducing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with advanced cancer using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F). MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this randomized controlled trial, patients with fatigue ≥4/10 on Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) were randomized to OLP one tablet twice a day or WL for 7 days. On day 8, patients of both arms received a placebo for 3 weeks. Changes in FACIT-F from baseline to day 8 (primary outcome) and at day 29, were assessed. Secondary outcomes included FACT-G, Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-SF, Fatigue cluster (defined as a composite of ESAS fatigue, pain, and depression), Center for epidemiologic studies-depression, Godin leisure-time physical activity questionnaire, and global symptom evaluation.
resultsA total of 84/90 (93%) patients were evaluable. The mean (SD) FACIT-F change at day 8 was 6.6 (7.6) after OLP, vs. 2.1 (9.4) after WL (P = .016). On days 15 and 29, when all patients received OLP, there was a significant improvement in CRF and no difference between arms. There was also a significant improvement in ESAS fatigue, and fatigue cluster score in the OLP arm on day 8 of the study (0.029, and 0.044, respectively). There were no significant differences in other secondary outcomes and adverse events between groups.
conclusionsOpen-labeled placebo was efficacious in reducing CRF and fatigue clusters in fatigued advanced cancer patients at the end of 1 week. The improvement in fatigue was maintained for 4 weeks. Further studies are needed.
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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.