Dexamethasone for Dyspnea in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Dexamethasone is often used to treat dyspnea in cancer patients, but evidence is lacking.

We determined the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial of dexamethasone in cancer patients and estimated the efficacy of dexamethasone in the treatment of dyspnea.

In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, patients with dyspnea ≥4 were randomized to receive either dexamethasone 8 mg twice daily × four days then 4 mg twice daily × three days or placebo for seven days, followed by an open-label phase for seven days. We documented the changes in dyspnea (0-10 numeric rating scale), spirometry measures, quality of life, and toxicities.

A total of 41 patients were randomized and 35 (85%) completed the blinded phase. Dexamethasone was associated with a significant reduction in dyspnea numeric rating scale of -1.9 (95% CI -3.3 to -0.5, P = 0.01) by Day 4 and -1.8 (95% CI -3.2 to -0.3, P = 0.02) by Day 7. In contrast, placebo was associated with a reduction of -0.7 (95% CI -2.1 to 0.6, P = 0.38) by Day 4 and -1.3 (95% CI -2.4 to -0.2, P = 0.03) by Day 7. The between-arm difference was not statistically significant. Drowsiness improved with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone was well tolerated with no significant toxicities.

A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of dexamethasone was feasible with a low attrition rate. Our preliminary data suggest that dexamethasone may be associated with rapid improvement in dyspnea and was well tolerated. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

ClinicalTrials.govNCT01670097.