A trial of a drug called methylphenidate for people with tiredness caused by cancer (MePFAC)
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This trial is for people who have moderate or severe tiredness (fatigue) caused by advanced cancer.
Advanced cancer means that the cancer has spread from where it started to another part of the body. It is for people with any type of cancer that cannot be cured.
More about this trial
- methylphenidate
- dummy drug (placebo)
Who can enter
- have advanced cancer that cannot be cured
- have moderate or severe tiredness (fatigue)
- are receiving palliative care treatment
- have acceptable blood tests results
- are able to swallow and absorb tablets
- are at least 18 years old
- can speak and understand English
- are willing to use effective contraception during treatment and for 6 weeks afterwards if there is any possibility that you or your partner could become pregnant
- have a neuroendocrine tumour that started in the adrenal glands (phaechromocytoma)
- have an eye condition called glaucoma
- have hyperthyroidism
- have or have had, mental health problems such as severe depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder or you have had suicidal thoughts
- have bipolar disorder that isn’t controlled
- have an infection that isn’t controlled
- have heart problems such as severe high blood pressure, angina that isn't controlled, heart failure or you have had a heart attack in the past year
- have had problems with your brain such as an aneurysm or a stroke in the last year
- have epilepsy or fits (seizures) that aren’t controlled
- have any other medical condition that the trial team think could affect you taking part
- take clonidine, warfarin or any other drug that is called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (your doctor can tell you more about this)
- take, or have taken certain drugs to treat depression in the past 2 weeks
- are sensitive to methylphenidate or anything it contains
- are going to have a general anaesthetic in the next 9 weeks
- take or have taken an amount of drugs or alcohol that is a concern for your doctor in the last year
- are taking part in another clinical trial
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
Trial design
- stop the trial if the trial doctor doesn’t think you are well enough to join the 2nd part of this trial
- join the 2nd part of this trial if the trial doctor think you are well enough to take part
- methylphenidate
- dummy drug (placebo)
- continue to take the same dose of methylphenidate or the dummy drug
- stop taking methylphenidate or the dummy drug
- increase or decrease the dose of methylphenidate or the dummy drug
- 3 weeks
- 6 weeks
- 10 weeks
Hospital visits
- a physical examination
- blood tests
- urine test
Side effects
- difficulty sleeping
- nervousness
- headaches
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Professor P Stone
Supported by
Priment Clinical Trial Unit
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme
University College London (UCL)
Marie Curie Cancer Care
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040