Acupressure for Cancer

Overseen By Jennifer Manggaard

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Mayo Clinic

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Non-cancer, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 2 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 1 week

78 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This clinicaI trial is being done to determine if acupressure is helpful to reduce anxiety related to chemotherapy, compared with "sham" (or placebo) acupressure in patients with cancer. Anxiety, experienced by many patients with cancer, can be related to chemotherapy and may contribute to other symptoms, such as nausea and poor quality of life. Some patients diagnosed with cancer express interest in non-medicine ways to manage symptoms. Acupressure is the application of non-invasive finger pressure along energy points throughout the body in order to relieve pain and induce a feeling of well-being. Previous research has shown that acupressure can help both adults and children with their anxiety in certain situations, such as after surgery. Patients can be taught how to do the acupressure on themselves, making this an intervention that can be done anywhere. Acupressure is well tolerated with minimal reports of adverse reactions. Undergoing acupressure may be effective in reducing anxiety in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on adding acupressure as a way to manage anxiety, so you may not need to stop your medications, but it's best to confirm with the trial organizers.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Acupressure for Cancer?

Research shows that acupressure and acupuncture can help reduce cancer-related depression and manage symptoms like nausea and anxiety in cancer patients. These treatments are considered safe and effective by the international medical community. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is acupressure safe for cancer patients?

Acupressure is generally considered safe for cancer patients, with very few minor side effects reported in studies. It has been used to help manage symptoms like nausea and depression in cancer patients. ^{3 4 6 7 8}

How is the treatment acupressure unique for cancer patients?

Acupressure is unique for cancer patients because it offers a non-invasive way to manage symptoms like pain, depression, and nausea without the use of needles, making it a safer option for those concerned about immunosuppression. It can be self-administered, even virtually, which is particularly beneficial when access to in-person care is limited. ^{3 4 7 9 10}

Research Team

Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake

Principal Investigator

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for cancer patients experiencing anxiety during chemotherapy. It's exploring if acupressure, a non-invasive pressure technique, can help manage their symptoms. Participants should be interested in non-medication treatments and willing to learn self-administered techniques.

Inclusion Criteria

I am currently receiving treatment for cancer.

I can fill out questionnaires in English before and after the treatment.

NURSE-LED INTERVENTION: Ability to provide oral consent

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants undergo either true or sham acupressure for 10 minutes on study, followed by self-administration sessions at home at least twice daily for seven days

1 week

1 visit (in-person), daily self-administration

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in anxiety-related symptoms using questionnaires

Up to 2 weeks

1 visit (virtual or in-person)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Acupressure

Trial Overview The study tests the effectiveness of acupressure therapy versus placebo (sham) acupressure in reducing anxiety among chemotherapy patients. It includes teaching patients self-acupressure and evaluating its impact on well-being compared to standard health education.

Participant Groups

Group I: Arm I (true acupressure) Experimental Treatment 4 Interventions

Patients undergo true acupressure over 10 minutes on study. Patients that choose to learn self-administration acupressure at home receive educational information and undergo self-administration acupressure sessions at least BID for seven days.

Group II: Arm II (sham acupressure) Placebo Group 4 Interventions

Patients undergo sham acupressure over 10 minutes on study. Patients that choose to learn self-administration acupressure at home receive educational information and undergo self-administration acupressure sessions at least BID for seven days.

Acupressure is already approved in United States, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Acupressure for:

• Relief from aromatase inhibitor-associated musculoskeletal symptoms in breast cancer patients

Approved in European Union as Acupressure for:

• Complementary therapy for symptom management in cancer patients, including relief from aromatase inhibitor-associated musculoskeletal symptoms

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Mayo Clinic

Lead Sponsor

Trials

3,427

Recruited

3,221,000+

Findings from Research

The updated review analyzed 18 new trials on acupuncture for cancer symptom management, highlighting ongoing concerns about study quality, including issues with blinding and bias, which can affect the reliability of results.

Despite the increase in studies, the review emphasizes the need for standardization in treatment methods and better understanding of the mechanisms behind acupuncture to accurately assess its efficacy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acupuncture for symptom management in cancer care: an update. Garcia, MK., McQuade, J., Lee, R., et al.[2022]

Acupressure applied to the P6 acupuncture point significantly reduced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in 64 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, demonstrating its efficacy as a supportive treatment.

Patients receiving acupressure had lower scores for nausea, vomiting, and anxiety compared to a control group, indicating that this non-invasive intervention can help alleviate common side effects of chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of acupressure application on chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer. Genç, F., Tan, M.[2022]

A meta-analysis of 16 randomized clinical trials involving 1019 cancer patients showed that acupuncture and acupressure had a total effective rate of 90% in treating cancer-related depression, compared to 72.5% for those receiving antidepressants.

The study supports the use of acupuncture and acupressure as effective non-pharmacological treatments for cancer-related depression, potentially reducing reliance on medications and their associated side effects, while improving patients' quality of life.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acupuncture and acupressure with improved cancer-related depression of retrospective studies. Wang, F., Zhao, J., Li, Y., et al.[2023]

A retrospective review of 32 cancer patients receiving virtual acupressure sessions showed a significant reduction in overall symptom burden, with a decrease of 4.9 points on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) after follow-up, indicating potential efficacy of this remote intervention.

The study highlighted that virtual acupressure not only reduced total symptom burden but also improved physical and emotional symptoms, suggesting it could be a valuable supportive care option for cancer patients during disruptions in in-person services.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Virtual acupressure for symptom management in cancer populations during COVID-19: a retrospective analysis. Yang, E., Lu, W., Tanasijevic, AM., et al.[2023]

Auricular acupressure significantly improved the quality of life for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, particularly in reducing nausea, vomiting, and breast symptoms, based on a randomized trial with 54 participants over 12 weeks.

The intervention was found to be safe, effective, low-cost, and easy to apply by trained nurses, suggesting it could be a valuable complementary therapy for enhancing the well-being of breast cancer patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Auricular acupressure in the quality of life of women with breast cancer: a randomized clinical trial. Vallim, ETA., Marques, ADCB., Coelho, RCFP., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 70 lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, acupressure on specific points significantly increased meridian energy and effectively reduced nausea and vomiting compared to a control group.

The experimental group experienced notably less nausea (p < .001) and vomiting (p = .006) during the delayed phase after receiving acupressure, suggesting it is a beneficial intervention for managing chemotherapy side effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effects of Acupressure on Meridian Energy as well as Nausea and Vomiting in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy. Shen, CH., Yang, LY.[2018]

Acupoint stimulation, particularly acupressure on the P6 acupoint, has shown positive effects in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients, with 88% of the 26 trials reviewed reporting beneficial outcomes.

However, only 35% of the trials were of high quality, indicating a need for more rigorously designed studies to confirm the efficacy of acupoint stimulation for other therapy-related adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The efficacy of acupoint stimulation for the management of therapy-related adverse events in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review. Chao, LF., Zhang, AL., Liu, HE., et al.[2022]

Auricular acupressure significantly improves sleep quality in cancer patients, as evidenced by a reduction in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, with a mean difference of -3.88, based on a meta-analysis of 6 trials involving 485 participants.

The intervention showed no serious side effects, with only one trial reporting slight and transient pain, indicating that auricular acupressure is a safe option for managing sleep disturbances in this patient population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Patients with Cancer with Sleep Disturbance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Jin, Y., et al.[2022]

Acupuncture is recommended by the American Cancer Society for managing cancer-related symptoms like pain and nausea, and it has been shown to be effective in alleviating these symptoms in cancer patients.

Despite concerns from some practitioners about the potential risks of 'dispersing' tumors, acupuncture can be safely administered using distant points, and it may even have immunomodulatory effects that could be beneficial for cancer patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Acupuncture for cancer patients: why not?]. Samuels, N.[2006]

Self-acupressure was found to be feasible and showed clinical significance in reducing insomnia, anxiety, and depression symptoms in cancer patients, particularly in the true acupressure group after 4 weeks of intervention.

Both true and sham acupressure groups reported lower insomnia and anxiety scores compared to the enhanced standard care group, indicating potential effectiveness and a possible placebo effect in managing these symptoms.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot randomized sham-controlled trial of self-acupressure to manage the symptom cluster of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Hoang, HTX., Molassiotis, A., Chan, CW., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acupuncture for symptom management in cancer care: an update. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of acupressure application on chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer. [2022]

3. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acupuncture and acupressure with improved cancer-related depression of retrospective studies. [2023]

4. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Virtual acupressure for symptom management in cancer populations during COVID-19: a retrospective analysis. [2023]

5. Brazil pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Auricular acupressure in the quality of life of women with breast cancer: a randomized clinical trial. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effects of Acupressure on Meridian Energy as well as Nausea and Vomiting in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy. [2018]

7. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The efficacy of acupoint stimulation for the management of therapy-related adverse events in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review. [2022]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Patients with Cancer with Sleep Disturbance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [2022]

9. Israel pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Acupuncture for cancer patients: why not?]. [2006]

10. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot randomized sham-controlled trial of self-acupressure to manage the symptom cluster of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. [2022]