Thyrotropin-releasing hormone can relieve cancer-related fatigue: hypothesis and preliminary observations.
Fatigue in cancer patients is highly prevalent, predominantly idiopathic, difficult to manage, and has a significant negative impact on quality of life. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) exerts normotrophic, state-dependent therapeutic effects in a variety of experimental and clinical situations. To evaluate TRH as a treatment for cancer-related fatigue, an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study of breast cancer patients has been initiated and this report presents preliminary observations conducted with three of these patients over 4 consecutive weeks, thereby involving a total of six TRH treatments and six saline controls. Global assessment using both subjective and objective parameters showed that TRH exerted clear anti-fatigue effects in four of the six TRH treatments. These responses were rapid in onset and persisted through the 24 h observation period. No anti-fatigue responses were seen in five of the six saline controls. No unexpected side-effects were seen with TRH administration. These initial findings support the proposal that TRH can ameliorate cancer-related fatigue.
Kamath
J
J
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA. jkamath@uchc.edu
Yarbrough
G G
GG
Prange
A J
AJ
Winokur
A
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006728:Hormones; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone