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Can cutting extra pills help older cancer patients get better chemo?

NCT ID NCT05046171

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Rochester Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tested whether a pharmacist-led program could safely reduce the number of unnecessary medications taken by older adults (65+) with curable cancers starting chemotherapy. 51 patients participated, with oncologists randomly assigned to either a pharmacist review or a simple educational pamphlet. The goal was to see if reducing extra pills helps patients receive their full chemotherapy dose as planned.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
pharmacist-led deprescribing and patient education
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could help older cancer patients avoid side effects from unnecessary medications and receive their chemotherapy as planned.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 51 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intervention may not significantly change chemotherapy dosing or side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1/2

Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.

Participants

50 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2022

Finished

Dec 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Be age ≥65 years; * Have a diagnosis of malignancy including aggressive lymphoma or cancers of the breast, gastrointestinal system, genitourinary system, or lung; * Be initiating chemotherapy, alone or in combination with other systemic antineoplastic agents, (for a period of at least 3 months) within 4 weeks of enrollment; * Screen positive for polypharmacy (\>10 medications) or potentially inappropriate medications * Be able to read and write English; * Be able to give informed consent, as determined by the primary oncologist, or has a legally authorized representative to sign consent in the case of cognitive impairment. Exclusion Criteria: * Be planned to receive a cancer treatment regimen that does not include standard cytotoxic chemotherapy (e.g., only targeted therapies, hormonal therapies, monoclonal antibody therapies, immunotherapy, etc.), * Have surgery or radiation without concurrent chemotherapy planned within 3 months of consent, * Have a planned referral to the geriatric oncology clinic (SOCARE) within one month of treatment initiation, * Lack decisional capacity, if a legally authorized representative is not available to sign consent and participate in study visits and follow-up phone calls.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer cancer digestive system cancer lung cancer neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Rochester

    Rochester, New York, 14642, United States

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