Morrow, G. R., Hickok, J. T., Roscoe, J. A., Raubertas, R. F., Andrews, P. L., Flynn, P. J., . . . University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program. (2003). Differential effects of paroxetine on fatigue and depression: a randomized, double-blind trial from the University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 4635–4641
Patients were given oral paroxetine 20 mg orally daily or placebo for eight weeks.
18 Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) outpatient centers
Patients were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.
The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
The paroxetine group and the placebo control had comparable levels of fatigue and depression at study inception. Paroxetine had neither beneficial nor detrimental effects on fatigue. There was a significantly lower mean level of depression in the paroxetine group compared with the placebo group. Treatment with paroxetine also favorably affected patients’ general moods. There were no differences in the effect of paroxetine on fatigue by gender, age, indication for treatment (adjuvant treatment versus treatment for metastatic disease), or by whether patients were more or less fatigued at baseline.
No special training is required to deliver the intervention. There are costs related to drug acquisition.