ANZCTR search results

The ProTaT trial is a phase II trial evaluating the safety and activity of the combination of docetaxel (Taxotere), prednisone and Thalidomide in men with metastatic hormone refractory prostae cancer. The hypothesis is that the combination of a standard systemic therapy, docetaxel, with and antiangiogenic agent may improve the response rate in patients with this disease.

Heart disease is Australia's biggest health problem, affecting nearly 3.7 million people every year. Recent research has shown that emotional problems such as depression can make heart problems worse. However, it is often difficult to diagnose depression in people with heart problems. This research aims to improve the general health and wellbeing of people with chronic heart problems and depression by determining whether a special general practitioner enhanced education program, comprising the monitoring of depression, academic detailing of best-practice guidelines and psychiatric advice to the treating GP, will reduce depression in people with chronic heart probalems.

This trial will determine the safety and activity of giving two new drugs together in women with advanced breast cancer. Both of these drugs are active when given alone; giving them together may be better.

The degree of movement in the Cervical and Thoracic Spines contribute to the effectiveness of breathing. In cases of respiratory disease, the degree to which this movement may limit breathing potential is well understood. However, strategies that address correcting such limitations are not as well documented. Furthermore, the inclusion of such strategies within respiratory rehabilitation programs is yet to be investigated. This study aims to test the effectiveness of Spinal Manipulation as a co-management strategy for use within a respiratory rehabilitation setting. The overall aim is to test a new respiratory rehabilitation program that includes Spinal Manipulation as a standard component in the management of certain chronic respiratory conditions.

Younger subjects with type 1 diabetes are being encouraged to undertake exercise, with no limitation on type/intensity of exercise (providing that there are no complications of diabetes present, e.g. cardiovascular disease), however, there is very little scientific information on the response of those with type 1 diabetes to intense exercise, and almost no studies on the response of these patients to high intensity exercise training. This study aimed to compare the metabolic (e.g. blood and muscle lactate, blood glucose) and ionic responses (e.g. muscle sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase, blood potassium, blood acidosis) during high intensity exercise, as reflected in samples of blood, muscle, and expired gas analysis, in younger people with and without type 1 diabetes; and secondly to evaluate the responses of both groups to high intensity exercise training. We hypothesised that acute exercise responses would be similar in the subjects with and without type 1 diabetes; and that high intensity exercise training would improve metabolic and ionic responses during high intensity exercise in subjects with type 1 diabetes; and would not result in deterioration of overall metabolic control (reflected by glycosylated haemoglobin).

Early enteral feeding is recognised as an important contributor to patient outcome in critically ill patients. This goal can be hard to achieve as patient often have difficulty tolerating nasogastric feeds. This is due to the tendency for seriously ill patients to develop a gastric ileus. One option is to begin intravenous feeding. However, parentral feeding is expensive and associated with a number of complications including sepsis. The insertion of post-pyloric tubes has been advocated for a number of years to overcome the problems with gastric feeding. Unfortunately, these tubes are difficult to place blindly, often requiring the assistance of gastroenterologists or radiologists. This often leads to delays instituting feeds, negating the benefits of early feeding. A number of centres have described protocols for placing small bowel tubes but with limited success. Recently, a simple technique with a relatively high success rate was described by a group of researchers. Our ICU has adopted their protocol and over the past few months have noted a success rate of nearly 100%. The implications are that by using this method, we are able to entrally feed virtually all our patients from day one. The aim of our study is to compare gastric and post-pyloric feeding in ventilated, critically ill patients. Our primary end-points include: time to insertion of feeding tube, time to reaching goal feeds and total nutrition received over ICU stay as proportion of calculated ideal. As part of the analysis we intend to compare complication rates between groups.

To compare changes in blood sugar levels (glycemic index) after consumption of bread made with the new wheat flour with the response obtained following consumption of bread manufactured from conventional wheat flour.

All hospitals in NSW are working towards becoming “Smoke Free Environments”. Patients are no longer be able to smoke in hospital. The study aims to analyse: - The effectiveness of opportunistic intervention in smokers about to undergo surgery; Perioperative effects (physiological and physical) of short notice cessation of smoking up to six weeks prior to surgery.

This study tests whether Temgesic improves the effectiveness of exposure therapy for decreasing social anxiety symptoms. We predict that individuals from the community diagnosed with social phobia who receive four exposure therapy sessions in combination with Temgesic will experience a greater reduction in social anxiety symptoms in comparison to individuals who received the placebo in combination with four exposure therapy sessions. Participants receive, in total, five weekly group therapy sessions, the first is educational and the next four consist of public speaking exposure therapy. One month post intervention participants are assessed for social anxiety symptoms as well as other general health indicators. All subjects, therapists, assessors, and data entry staff are blind to condition.

This study tests whether oxytocin facilitates the processing of human faces by enhancing memory and attractiveness towards exposed faces. Participants are assigned to Oxytocin or Placebo and then given a presentation of facial expressions. Participants must rate the attractiveness of each face. The next day, participants return to be assessed for their memory of faces and their attractiveness toward each face. THe hypothesis is that participants who were exposed to facial expressions with oxytocin will demonstrate better memory and greater attractiveness rating for these faces the next day than participants assigned to placebo. All participants, assessors, and research staff handling data are blind to condition.