A Feasibility Pilot Trial of Individualized Homeopathic Treatment of Fatigue in Children Receiving Chemotherapy

Background: Fatigue is a major problem in children with cancer. The objective was to examine the feasibility of performing a clinical trial of homeopathic treatment for fatigue in children receiving chemotherapy.

Materials: This was a single-institution, open-label, pilot study. Children 2 to 18 years old, diagnosed with cancer, and receiving chemotherapy were eligible. Participants were given individualized homeopathic treatment for a maximum of 14 days. In-home or clinic assessments were conducted up to 3 times weekly. Feasibility was defined as the ability to recruit and administer homeopathy to 10 participants within 1 year. Fatigue was measured using the Symptom Distress Scale daily and the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Module weekly.

Results: Between April 2012 and April 2014, 155 potential participants were identified. There were 45 eligible and contacted patients; 36 declined participation, 30 because they were not interested; 9 agreed to participate, but 1 participant withdrew prior to treatment initiation. Median length of homeopathic treatment was 10.5 (range = 6 to 14) days. All parents found homeopathic treatment to be easy or very easy to follow.

Conclusions: Trials of individualized homeopathy for fatigue reduction in pediatric cancer are not feasible in this context; lack of interest was a primary reason. Alternative approaches to evaluating homeopathy efficacy are needed.