HEALING TOUCH IN ADVANCED CERVICAL CANCER PATIENTS

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是针对中心的，而不一定是针对调查员的机构。尽管有很大比例的美国人报告使用替代疗法，但很少有实质性的实证研究来检验许多替代疗法的有效性，也没有对这些疗法可能产生效果的假设机制有明确的了解。疗愈触摸(HT)是美国国立卫生研究院归类为“生物场”疗法的一种疗法，因为它的效果被认为是操纵患者身体周围假想的“能量场”的结果。虽然化疗和放射治疗的癌症患者经常使用羟色胺作为辅助治疗，以减少治疗的毒副作用和维持免疫功能，但这种治疗在癌症化疗和放射治疗中的效果尚未被研究。此外，对羟色胺可能起作用的生理机制知之甚少。最近的一项荟萃分析表明，羟色胺对幸福感和生理参数的影响相对较大，甚至在短暂的治疗中也是如此。这项研究旨在研究HT对晚期宫颈癌患者细胞免疫功能的影响以及治疗的短期副作用，这些患者正在接受为期5周的标准外放射治疗，同时接受化疗，然后进行放射植入。虽然联合化疗和放射治疗在70%的病例中有潜在的治愈作用，但许多患者同时经历了放射的急性和晚期副作用。据报道，在密集辐射后，也出现了严重的免疫损害。确定可以减少副作用并帮助正在接受治疗的晚期宫颈癌患者保持免疫活性的干预措施是一个关键的健康问题。目前还没有关于治疗触摸对接受化疗和放射治疗的癌症患者免疫功能的影响的数据。因此，这项研究被设计为II期探索性试验，以确定这种免疫效应是否存在，如果存在，哪些免疫参数最有可能受到影响。治疗触摸对情绪的影响和特定治疗的副作用也将被研究。这项研究的意义在于，它将提供关于羟色胺对细胞免疫功能的各种参数的影响(如果有的话)的初步数据，作用机制的信息，以及影响的程度是否足够大，足以在未来的III期疗效试验中检验。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Although a large percent of the U.S. population reports using alternative therapies, there is little substantive empirical research examining effectiveness of many alternative modalities, nor is there a clear understanding of putative mechanisms whereby such treatments may have their effects. Healing touch (HT) is a therapy classified by the NIH as a "biofield" therapy as its effects are proposed to be the result of manipulation of hypothesized "energy fields" around the body of a patient. Although HT is frequently used as a complementary treatment by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation to reduce toxic side effects of treatment and to maintain immunocompetence, effects of this treatment during cancer chemotherapy and radiation have not been investigated. Additionally, little is known about physiological mechanisms by which HT may work. A recent meta-analysis has demonstrated relatively large effects of HT on well-being and on physiological parameters, even from brief treatments. This study is designed to examine effects of HT on cellular immune function and short-term side effects of treatment among women with advanced cervical cancer who are receiving a standard 5-week course of external radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy followed by radiation implants. Although combined chemotherapy and radiation treatment is potentially curative in 70% of cases, many patients experience both acute and late side effects of radiation. Severe immune compromise has also been reported following intensive radiation. Identification of interventions that could reduce side effects and help maintain immunocompetence in advanced cervical cancer patients undergoing treatment is a critical health problem. There are no data on the effects of healing touch on immune function among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Therefore, this study is designed as a phase II exploratory trial to determine whether such immune effects exist, and if so, what immune parameters are most likely to be affected. Effects of healing touch on mood and treatment-specific side effects will also be examined. The significance of this study is that it will provide preliminary data on the impact, if any, of HT on various parameters of cellular immune function, information on mechanisms of action, and whether the magnitude of the impact is large enough to be of sufficient clinical significance to be examined in future phase III efficacy trials.