L-carnitine supplementation for the management of fatigue in patients with cancer: an eastern cooperative oncology group phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

L-carnitine, a popular complementary and alternative medicine product, is used by patients with cancer for the treatment of fatigue, the most commonly reported symptom in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of L-carnitine supplementation as a treatment for fatigue in patients with cancer.

Patients and methods

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients with invasive malignancies and fatigue were randomly assigned to either 2 g/d of L-carnitine oral supplementation or matching placebo. The primary end point was the change in average daily fatigue from baseline to week 4 using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI).

Results

Three hundred seventy-six patients were randomly assigned to treatment with L-carnitine

SUBMITTER: Cruciani RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3478577 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature