Colorectal Cancer Coalition

Provigil Helps Cancer Fatigue

Update from 2008 ASCO Meeting in Chicago

Provigil® (modafinil) reduced fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy according to a study reported by Gary Morrow PhD at the 2008 ASCO meeting.

Patients who were severely fatigued after their first chemotherapy treatment had less fatigue after they received Provigil than those who got a placebo. They were also less sleepy during the day.

Severe fatigue was considered more than 6 on a 10 point scale. Patients with mild or moderate fatigue did not have a similar improvement.

Despite improvement in severe fatigue, there was no effect on depression.

Cancer-related fatigue is a feeling of overall exhaustion that isn’t relieved by rest or sleep.  It can be debilitating, leading to sleepiness during the day, difficulty sleeping at night, and depression.

Dr. Morrow and his team at the University of Rochester Medical Center concluded,

Modafinil appears useful in the control of severe cancer-related fatigue, especially for patients with severe baseline fatigue. This eugeroic agent also has a significant beneficial effect on sleepiness but no effect on depression.

SOURCE: Morrow et al, A phase III randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of a eugeroic agent in 642 cancer patients reporting fatigue during chemotherapy: A URCC CCOP Study, 2008 ASCO Abstract #9512.

This news article was originally posted on June 10th, 2008 and was accurate at the time of publication. Since then, information may have changed or links may now be outdated. Please call our Answer Line 1-877-427-2111 for the latest information, or talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 10th, 2008
Tags: ASCO, fatigue

Leave a Comment Comments RSS

Your comments are welcome. However, specific medical advice will not be provided, and we urge you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions. C3 is not responsible for the medical accuracy of any comments left by persons other than C3 staff members. C3 staff members monitor comments and may respond publicly where appropriate.

Please note that we automatically publish the name that you enter next to your post. Also note that our pages are automatically indexed by Google and other search engines, and your name may therefore appear in search results on those sites. So if you wish to remain anonymous please use a different name or enter 'Anon' as the name.

We regret that we are unable to privately answer questions left as comments. So please do not include your phone number, email or mailing address in the body of your comment. For the best personal and direct response to your colorectal cancer treatment questions, please call our Answer Line at 1-877-4CRC-111 (1-877-427-2111).

Name Email (hidden) URL Comments (Basic HTML is allowed - a href, strong, em, blockquote)