Symptom burden and willingness to participate: Implications for herbal clinical trials in lung cancer Journal Article


Authors: Liu, J.; Hou, W.; Gönen, M.; Seluzicki, C.; Li, S. Q.; Mao, J. J.
Article Title: Symptom burden and willingness to participate: Implications for herbal clinical trials in lung cancer
Abstract: Background: People with lung cancer are interested in using herbs for symptom management. However, well-designed clinical trials are lacking. We aimed to quantify symptom burden and willingness to participate in herbal clinical trials among this population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data collected from people with lung cancer at an oncology clinic at an academic cancer center. The primary outcome was self-reported willingness to participate in herbal research. We measured symptoms using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore the relationship between demographic/ clinical factors, symptom burden, and willingness to participate in herbal studies. Results: Among 288 participants, 55% were female, 42% were >65 years, 54% had stage IV cancer, and 86% had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nearly half (46%) indicated willingness to participate in an herbal clinical trial. The most commonly reported moderate to severe symptoms (≥4 on the MDASI scale) were fatigue (57%), drowsiness (44%), disturbed sleep (43%), distress (42%), and dyspnea (36%). In multivariate analyses, higher education was significantly associated with willingness to participate in herbal studies (adjusted odds ratio 1.87, 95% confidence interval, 1.12–3.10, P=0.016), while symptom burden was not. Conclusions: People with lung cancer experience high rates of symptom burden. Nearly half of our participants expressed willingness to participate in an herbal clinical trial, particularly those with higher education. These findings can inform the design of future herbal clinical trials targeting common symptoms in lung cancer populations. © Annals of Palliative Medicine. All rights reserved.
Keywords: clinical trial; fatigue; lung cancer; herbal
Journal Title: Annals of Palliative Medicine
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
ISSN: 2224-5820
Publisher: AME Publishing Company  
Date Published: 2021-02-01
Start Page: 1895
End Page: 1903
Language: English
DOI: 10.21037/apm-20-865
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 33353352
PMCID: PMC9297344
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 1 April 2021 -- Source: Scopus
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Mithat Gonen
    1030 Gonen
  2. Jun J Mao
    244 Mao
  3. Qing Susan Li
    82 Li
  4. Jie Liu
    3 Liu