Hypnotherapy in Treating Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sleep Disorder; Chronic Pain; Cancer Survivor; Depression; Anxiety

Treatments: Procedure: Hypnotherapy; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02637297

9445 (Other Identifier)

NCI-2015-01868 (Registry Identifier)

T32NR013456 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

P30CA015704 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized pilot clinical trial studies hypnotherapy in treating chronic pain in cancer survivors. Hypnotherapy is a state of concentration and focused attention which can provide more control over the experience of acute and chronic pain and its impact and may provide comfort, maximize function, and improve quality of life in cancer survivors.

Full description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To test the feasibility (recruitment, attrition, adherence, logistical issues) of delivering the hypnosis (hypnotherapy) intervention to cancer survivors with chronic pain.

II. To evaluate the acceptability of the hypnosis intervention among cancer survivors with chronic pain.

III. To explore preliminary efficacy (estimate effect size) of hypnosis in relieving pain and improving associated anxiety and functional performance at 4 weeks and 8 weeks compared to a wait-list control.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION GROUP: Participants undergo hypnotherapy session over 20-30 minutes using a standardized script for pain reduction that contains post-hypnotic suggestions for permanence of hypnotherapy benefits. The hypnotherapy session is recorded and the participant listens to the recording daily for 4 weeks.

WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP: At week 5, participants undergo hypnotherapy session over 20-30 minutes using a standardized script for pain reduction that contains post-hypnotic suggestions for permanence of hypnotherapy benefits. The hypnotherapy session is recorded and the participant listens to the recording daily for 4 weeks.

Enrollment: 39 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-report of moderate or higher pain on average during the last week (> 3 on a 0-10 pain intensity numeric scale)
• Completed active cancer treatment other than maintenance therapy >= 3 months ago
• Functional fluency in English
• Mentally and physically able to participate and complete surveys over the phone

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic pain is not cancer-related

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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39 participants in 2 patient groups

Group I (immediate intervention group)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants undergo hypnotherapy session over 20-30 minutes using a standardized script for pain reduction that contains post-hypnotic suggestions for permanence of hypnotherapy benefits. The hypnotherapy session is recorded and the participant listens to the recording daily for 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Procedure: Hypnotherapy

Other: Questionnaire Administration

Group II (wait-list control group)

Active Comparator group

Description:

At week 5, participants undergo hypnotherapy session over 20-30 minutes using a standardized script for pain reduction that contains post-hypnotic suggestions for permanence of hypnotherapy benefits. The hypnotherapy session is recorded and the participant listens to the recording daily for 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Questionnaire Administration