ANZCTR search results

This study, known as ATTAX 3, evaluates chemotherapy with the drugs docetaxel, cisplatin, fluoropyrimidine (wTCF) plus or minus panitumumab in treating advanced cancer of the oesophagus and stomach. Who is it for? You can join this study if you have oesophago-gastric cancer that has recurred locally after initial treatment or that has spread to other locations. Trial details Participants will be divided into two groups. Both groups will receive chemotherapy with the drugs docetaxel, cisplatin and a fluoropyrimidine (wTCF) . The second group will also receive treatment with panitumumab. Both groups will receive treatment for 24 weeks. The size of the tumour will be assessed using a CT scans carried out every 6 weeks during treatment and every 12 weeks thereafter. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of treatment and looks at survival rates, any side effects, any symptoms associated with disease and participants’ quality of life during treatment.

This study assesses the usefulness of Choline and Fluro-deoxy-glucose PET scans in determining treatment for men with high risk prostate cancer planned for radical radiotherapy Who is it for? You can join this study if you are a man with high risk prostate cancer and treatment with radical radiotherapy is planned. Trial details A total of 30 participants will all undergo PET scans with radioactive markers Fluro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) and Choline (C) to evaluate whether these diagnostic tools can be used to improve planning for radiotherapy treatment. Results of the scans will be compared with standard imaging technologies (CT and MRI) to see if they provide additional information that can improve treatment. Participants undergo androgen deprivation therapy (hormone therapy) for 3 years. During this period participants also undergo normal radiotherapy treatments. Patients are monitered for 2 years after the completion of radiotherapy to assess the usefulness of the PET scans.

This study looks at the effectiveness of a communication tool called ‘It's okay to ask’ in facilitating information exchange for adults with brain tumours. Who is it for? You can join this study if you: 1. live in Queensland 2. have been diagnosed with a primary brain tumour 3. have attended initial consultation with selected neurosurgeons in the last 2 weeks. Trial details A question prompt list (QPL) is a structured list of questions for a patient or their carer to ask a doctor if they want to. It is designed to encourage participants to ask questions in the medical consultation, empowering them to seek answers to important questions, and enabling them to share personalised information. Work is underway to develop a QPL specifically for adults diagnosed with a primary brain tumour and their caregivers. This pilot study aims to determine: 1. if the QPL is acceptable to participants 2. if and how participants use it 3. the requirements for implementing the QPL 4. how well it works in improving information exchange.

The main aim of this study is to see whether a physiotherapy service provided to an Emergency Extended Care Unit (EECU) decreases admission rates from EECU to hospital

Osteonecrosis of the hip is an important cause of musculoskeletal disability and finding therapeutic solutions has proven to be challenging. Osteonecrosis means death of bone which can occur from the loss of the blood supply or some other means. Although any age group may develop osteonecrosis, most patients are between 20 and 50 years old. The most common risk factor is a history of high steroid treatment for some medical condition. The next most common associated condition is a history of high alcohol use. There are some cases of osteonecrosis that occur in patients that are otherwise completely healthy with no detectable risk factors. In the earliest stage of the disease, x-rays appear normal and the diagnosis is made using MRI. The advanced stages of osteonecrosis begin when the dead bone starts to fail mechanically through a process of microfractures of the bone. As the disease progresses, the surace begins to collapse until, finally the integrity of the joint is destroyed. A wide range of surgical treatments with variable success rates have been proposed for the treatment of the osteonecrosis to preserve joint integrity, including core decompression, whereby the venous hypertension that ensues is lessened and revascularisation may be induced leading to bone repair. Nonsurgical treatment options are limited and usually result in a poor prognosis. Early stage disease can be treated with protected weight bearing and physiotherapy, however some studies have shown protected weight bearing to be associated with a greater than 85% rate of femoral head collapse. Unfortunately most studies indicate that the risk for disease progression is greater with nonsurgical treatment than with surgical intervention. There are no esthablished pharmaceuticals for the prevention of treatment of osteonecrosis. Evidence is increasing that the nitrogen containing bisphosphonates may be beneficial in the treatment of osteonecrosis. One bisphosphonates (alendronate) has been evaluated in 60 patients diagnosed with osteonecrosis of the hip. Recent clinical studies have shown very promising results. All patients had symptomatic improvement after one year. Although the follow up time ranged from 3 months to 5 years, only 6 patients progressed to the point of needing surgery.

Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation, particularly among the elderly. Breathlessness is a common reason for patients presenting to hospital. Although the use of oxygen in acute HF with hypoxaemia is well established, there is no evidence to support or refute the use of oxygen in chronic HF. The OXYGEN-HF Study seeks to test the hypothesis that oxygen administered in conjunction with a dyspnoea action plan will decrease rates of hospitalisation compared with air and a dyspnoea action plan and a dyspnoea action plan alone in patients with New York Heart Association Class III-IV heart failure.

Osteoporosis and low trauma fractures currently affect 2.2 million Australians, which is projected to rise to three million people by 2021, with a fracture occurring every 3½ minutes. Currently the medical paradigm of ‘cure’ for osteoporosis is less than ideal because the limited pharmacological agents available are directed to those who already have the disease or are at increased risk. A more effective approach to reduce the burden of this disease is prevention at the population level. That is, defining models that are efficacious, safe, and can be implemented to a large cross-section of the community. Exercise fulfils most of these criteria, with the added advantage of having beneficial effects on multiple health outcomes. The aim of this 18 month RCT is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based exercise (high velocity resistance and weight-bearing exercise) and osteoporosis education/awareness program for optimising musculoskeletal health and function and general well-being in older Australians at increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

The aims of this study are to assess the reproducibility of perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)imaging in patients with symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease; to compare the reproducibility of this technique in patients with coronary artery disease versus those at low risk of coronary artery disease. Myocardial perfusion assessment in coronary artery disease (CAD) forms the cornerstone of optimal patient management, providing non-invasive diagnostic information integral to the evaluation of new therapies and interventions as well as valuable prognostic information. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is increasingly being favoured for the assessment of CAD. Despite the appeal and anticipated future application of perfusion CMR, the reproducibility of this technique is yet to be established. Reproducibility is a measure of the ability of a test to produce the same result when applied under similar conditions and thus affects the diagnostic value of the test and impacts upon its clinical and research utility.

Dyspnea is a burdensome symptom for individuals with heart failure (HF) and is responsible for high rates of hospitalization. Observational data, predominately in respiratory and cancer patients, suggest that nebulised furosemide may be useful for the symptomatic management of dyspnea. This evidence to date remains inconclusive and there have been no reports of the use of inhaled frusemide in HF. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of nebulised frusemide on the haemodynamic measures of heart function and on the symptom of dyspnoea in a population of patients with stable chronic heart failure

Hot flushes and night sweats are common during menopause, and can be bothersome. Effective treatment of hot flushes carries risks, including cancer and heart disease. This small preliminary study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a larger trial on acupuncture for hot flushes. The hypothesis is that acupuncture is more effective than placebo acupuncture in relieving hot flush severity and frequency, and in improving quality of life. Lessons learned from this pilot study will assist in conducting a larger trial which will investigate whether acupuncture improves the number and severity of hot flushes.