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Buspirone for management of dyspnea in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a randomized placebo-controlled URCC CCOP study
- Source :
- Supportive Care in Cancer. 24:1339-1347
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2015.
-
Abstract
- Cancer-related dyspnea is a common, distressing, and difficult-to-manage symptom in cancer patients, resulting in diminished quality of life and poor prognosis. Buspirone, a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic which does not suppress respiration and has proven efficacy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, has been suggested to relieve the sensation of dyspnea in patients with COPD. The main objective of our study was to evaluate whether buspirone alleviates dyspnea in cancer patients. We report on a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 432 patients (mean age 64, female 51 %, lung cancer 62 %) from 16 participating Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) sites with grade 2 or higher dyspnea, as assessed by the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale. Dyspnea was assessed by the Oxygen Cost Diagram (OCD; higher scores are better) and anxiety by the state subscale of the StateāTrait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S; lower scores are better) at baseline and after the 4-week intervention (post-intervention). Mean scores from baseline to post-intervention for buspirone were OCD 8.7 to 9.0 and STAI-S 40.5 to 40.1 and for placebo were OCD 8.4 to 9.3 and STAI-S 40.9 to 38.6 with raw improvements over time on both measures being greater in the placebo group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for baseline scores showed no statistically significant difference between groups for OCD (P = 0.052) or STAI-S (P = 0.062). Buspirone did not result in significant improvement in dyspnea or anxiety in cancer patients. Thus, buspirone should not be recommended as a pharmacological option for dyspnea in cancer patients.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Generalized anxiety disorder
medicine.drug_class
Anxiety
Placebo
behavioral disciplines and activities
Anxiolytic
Article
Buspirone
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Double-Blind Method
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Quality of life
Neoplasms
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
COPD
business.industry
Disease Management
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Anxiety Disorders
humanities
Dyspnea
Oncology
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Quality of Life
Physical therapy
Female
medicine.symptom
business
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14337339 and 09414355
- Volume :
- 24
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Supportive Care in Cancer
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....992a4e81fa79b515d2d3a072dbdeb393