TY - JOUR
T1 - Does megestrol acetate down-regulate interleukin-6 in patients with cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss? A North Central Cancer Treatment Group investigation
AU - Jatoi, Aminah
AU - Yamashita, Jun ichi
AU - Sloan, Jeff A.
AU - Novotny, Paul J.
AU - Windschitl, Harold E.
AU - Loprinzi, Charles L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This study was supported in part by Public Health Service grants CA-25224, CA-37404, CA-15083, CA-63849, CA-35195, CA-35272, CA-60276, CA-35269, CA-37417, CA-63849, CA-35448, CA-35101, CA-35195, CA-35415, CA-35103.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Megestrol acetate improves appetite and abrogates weight loss in some patients with advanced cancer. Moreover, preliminary studies suggest that progestational agents down-regulate interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine widely implicated in cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss. The present investigation examined the effects of megestrol acetate on IL-6 in an attempt to confirm these earlier, preliminary studies. The translational component of a large multi-institutional trial, this investigation examined 85 patients with advanced cancer and weight loss. Patients had been randomly assigned to receive megestrol acetate liquid suspension 800 mg/day + placebo tablets, or oral dronabinol tablets 2.5 mg b.i.d. + liquid placebo, or both agents. Other testing included serial physician-reported weight and patient-reported appetite and global quality of life. We found no significant differences in 1-month changes in serum IL-6 according to whether patients had been treated with megestrol acetate, dronabinol, or the combination: the mean differences ± standard deviation were -1.52±4.7 pg/ml, -0.62±3.5 pg/ml, and -0.2±3.1 pg/ml, respectively (P=0.40, by one-way ANOVA). Among the patients who noted alterations in their appetite over 1 month, we observed no significant changes in IL-6. Finally, changes in serum IL-6 were not associated with shifts in weight or global quality of life. Our investigation provides no evidence that megestrol acetate down-regulates IL-6 in patients with cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss.
AB - Megestrol acetate improves appetite and abrogates weight loss in some patients with advanced cancer. Moreover, preliminary studies suggest that progestational agents down-regulate interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine widely implicated in cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss. The present investigation examined the effects of megestrol acetate on IL-6 in an attempt to confirm these earlier, preliminary studies. The translational component of a large multi-institutional trial, this investigation examined 85 patients with advanced cancer and weight loss. Patients had been randomly assigned to receive megestrol acetate liquid suspension 800 mg/day + placebo tablets, or oral dronabinol tablets 2.5 mg b.i.d. + liquid placebo, or both agents. Other testing included serial physician-reported weight and patient-reported appetite and global quality of life. We found no significant differences in 1-month changes in serum IL-6 according to whether patients had been treated with megestrol acetate, dronabinol, or the combination: the mean differences ± standard deviation were -1.52±4.7 pg/ml, -0.62±3.5 pg/ml, and -0.2±3.1 pg/ml, respectively (P=0.40, by one-way ANOVA). Among the patients who noted alterations in their appetite over 1 month, we observed no significant changes in IL-6. Finally, changes in serum IL-6 were not associated with shifts in weight or global quality of life. Our investigation provides no evidence that megestrol acetate down-regulates IL-6 in patients with cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss.
KW - Advanced cancer
KW - Anorexia
KW - Megestrol acetate
KW - Weight loss
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036941020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036941020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-001-0310-7
DO - 10.1007/s00520-001-0310-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 11777191
AN - SCOPUS:0036941020
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 10
SP - 71
EP - 75
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 1
ER -