An interventional study of Questionnaire on Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) in Hematological Malignancies, sponsored by University Hospital, Limoges. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-21.
Sponsored by University Hospital, Limoges · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
Integrative medicine promotes the incorporation of elements from complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) into patient care. These approaches are defined as treatments that are not routinely part of conventional medical care (1). CAM practices include osteopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, naturopathy, and various energy-based techniques, although their efficacy is not always well-established. Nevertheless, a meta-analysis on the use of CAM in the context of cancer reported a 40% prevalence of use in 2012 (2). Subsequently, a study conducted in France in 2015 revealed an 83% prevalence of CAM use across all types of cancer, underscoring the interest in these therapies (3). CAM is often employed to alleviate side effects of conventional treatments, such as fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. The 2015 French study primarily focused on solid tumors, with hematological malignancies representing only 2% of the cases, thereby limiting the assessment of CAM use in this context (3). Currently, there is no specific data evaluating the use of CAM among patients with hematological malignancies in France.
Hematological malignancies, unlike solid tumors, are characterized by their diffuse nature, making their localization and treatment more challenging for patients to comprehend (4). Additionally, a qualitative study the investigators conducted on the spiritual needs of patients recently diagnosed with hematological malignancies identified CAM as an area of interest. Among the ten patients in the study, seven were using CAM and reported an improvement in their spiritual well-being, which is defined as the ability to integrate the meaning and purpose of life into their health experiences, through relationships with themselves, others, art, nature, or a higher entity. This aspect of CAM utilization was not explored in our previous study on the spiritual needs of patients, particularly in understanding their appeal and the motivations of patients to adopt them.
Therefore, it appears crucial to explore this practice, which is known to be common among healthcare providers. Understanding these complementary care pathways would enable their safety (e.g., avoiding or informing about potential drug interactions) and foster the patient-provider relationship around a topic that is sometimes considered taboo (5). Ultimately, this would contribute to better supporting patients within a holistic care perspective.
1,444 studies on the registry are indexed under Hematologic Neoplasms; 420 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 85 is above the median of 46 across 1,044 interventional studies indexed under Hematologic Neoplasms.
Browse Hematologic Neoplasms studies →University Hospital, Limoges is the lead sponsor of 264 studies on the registry; 38 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Other: Questionnaire on Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM)
This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods within a convergent design. Quantitative Data: * Every hospitalized patient will be invited to participate in the quantitative part of the study. * Sociodemographic and disease-related data will be collected. * Participants will complete a questionnaire assessing their use of CAM, created based on existing literature. They will also complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire to assess their quality of life and the FACIT-SP questionnaire to evaluate their spiritual well-being, both of which are validated tools for this population. Qualitative Data: * A convenience sampling method will be employed to ensure diversity in participant profiles and to capture a comprehensive range of perspectives. * Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with patients, regardless of whether they use CAM, ensuring coverage of each type of pathology.
Proportion of Complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) use
This will be determined by identifying patients who report engaging in any form of complementary and alternative medicine, as there is no specific questionnaire available to assess this prevalence
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Percentage of use for each identified CAM
The frequency of use for each specific CAM therapy identified in our sample will be calculated.
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Themes identified in content analysis:
Themes will be derived from the content analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with patients.
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Average specific quality of life score
The mean score from the European Oraganisation for Research and Treament of Cancer quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire, validated within our population, will be reported to assess the quality of life of cancer patients. Scores are linearly transformed to a 0-100 scale. For the functional scales and the global health status/quality of life scale, higher scores indicate a better level of functioning or quality of life. In contrast, for the symptom scales/items, higher scores indicate a higher level of symptoms (i.e., worse condition).
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Average score from the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) questionnaire
The mean score from the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) questionnaire, validated in our population, will be used to assess the spiritual well-being of patients. The total score of FACIT-Sp ranges from 0 to 156. The higher score indicates a higher level ofspiritual well-being.
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Results of multivariate logistic regression
The outcomes will include factors associated with CAM use, with variables such as age, gender, spiritual well-being score, and quality of life score being analyzed.
Time frame: At the end of the study, 18 months after the first inclusion
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Jun 2026; primary completion for Dec 2027, 18 months later.
Of 185 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Hematologic Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 40 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 21 and three quarters within 125. This study's planned 18 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 191 studies reached it within 40 months; a quarter within 21 and three quarters within 125.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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