Randomized clinical trial on the effects of adenosine 5'-triphosphate infusions on quality of life, functional status, and fatigue in preterminal cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
One potential agent to improve symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in advanced cancer patients is adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). Several reports suggest that ATP may positively affect QoL and survival in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of ATP infusions on QoL parameters in patients with preterminal cancer of mixed tumor types.


METHODS
Ninety-nine preterminal cancer patients were randomly allocated to receive either ATP intravenously weekly (8-10 hours/week, with maximum 50 μg/kg.minute) for eight weeks or receive no ATP (control group). QoL parameters were assessed until eight weeks and analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of covariance.


RESULTS
Fifty-one patients were randomized to the ATP group and 48 to the control group. Unexpectedly, in the untreated control group, most of the outcome parameters did not deteriorate but remained stable or even significantly improved over time. Between the ATP and control groups, no statistically significant differences were observed for the large majority of outcome parameters, except for the strength of elbow flexor muscles in favor of the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
ATP infusions, at the dose and schedule studied, did not have a significant effect on QoL, functional status, or fatigue in preterminal cancer patients of mixed tumor types.
Beijer
Sandra
S
Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands. sandra.beijer@epid.unimaas.nl
Hupperets
Pierre S
PS
van den Borne
Ben E E M
BE
Wijckmans
Nicole E G
NE
Spreeuwenberg
Cor
C
van den Brandt
Piet A
PA
Dagnelie
Pieter C
PC
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007785:Lactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008689:Methacrylates; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C511371:2-O-methacryloyloxyethoxyl-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetylgalactopyranosyl)-(1-4)-2,3,6-tri-O-acetylglucopyranoside; D008689:Methacrylates; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D007785:Lactose