Acupressure for Reducing Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

NCT06322615 | Completed

• 3 other identifiers: MC221001NCI-2024-0053823-004067
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This clinical trial evaluates whether acupressure is helpful to reduce anxiety related to chemotherapy. Anxiety is experienced by many patients with cancer. Anxiety 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-medicinal ways to manage symptoms. Acupressure is a noninvasive intervention that can be used for many different symptoms. Acupressure is well tolerated with minimal reports of adverse reactions, making it a good choice for patients with cancer. This study may help researchers learn whether acupressure is useful for managing anxiety in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Conditions

Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm; Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Number of patients approached about undergoing acupressure intervention (Feasibility)

  Assessed by the number of patients approached about undergoing acupressure intervention.

  Up to 1 year

• Number of patients interested in the initial acupressure intervention in the chemotherapy unit (Feasibility)

  Assessed by the number of patients who express interest in the initial acupressure intervention in the chemotherapy unit.

  Up to 1 year

• Number of patients interested in the home acupressure intervention (Feasibility)

  Assessed by the number of patients who express interest in the home acupressure intervention.

  Up to 1 year

• Time taken for each nurse-led acupressure intervention in the chemotherapy unit (Feasibility)

  Assess by the time recorded for ach nurse-led acupressure intervention in the chemotherapy unit.

  Up to 1 year

• Patient-reported changes in acute anxiety

  Assessed with a brief anxiety questionnaire that inquires about the three different domains of anxiety: cognitive symptoms, emotional symptoms, and physical symptoms. Seven questions are answered using 11-point (0-10) scales with different values assigned to the scale per question (e.g. 0=no anxiety/10=worst possible anxiety or 0=strongly disagree/10=strongly agree).

  At baseline, after a one-time nurse-administered acupressure session, and after one week of self-administered acupressure sessions

Study Arms (1)

Supportive Care (acupressure)

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients undergo acupressure over 15-120 seconds at a time for up to 15 minutes. After completion of the session, patients may optionally receive an education session on using acupressure at home.

Procedure: Acupressure Therapy; Other: Educational Intervention; Other: Electronic Health Record Review; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Interventions

Acupressure Therapy PROCEDURE

Undergo acupressure

Also known as: Acupressure, Ischemic Compression

Supportive Care (acupressure)

Educational Intervention OTHER

Receive education session about using acupressure at home

Also known as: Education for Intervention, Intervention by Education, Intervention through Education, Intervention, Educational

Supportive Care (acupressure)

Electronic Health Record Review OTHER

Ancillary studies

Supportive Care (acupressure)

Questionnaire Administration OTHER

Ancillary studies

Supportive Care (acupressure)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Be actively undergoing chemotherapy in the Mayo Clinic chemotherapy unit
• Report anxiety as a 1 or higher, on a scale from 0 (no anxiety) to 4 (severe anxiety)
• Be willing to undergo a short acupressure session

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mayo Clinic: lead

Study Sites (1)

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

Location

Related Links

• Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Acupressure; Early Intervention, Educational; Educational Status; Methods

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Child Health Services; Community Health Services; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Preventive Health Services; Socioeconomic Factors; Population Characteristics; Investigative Techniques

Study Officials

• Laura S. Rhee, D.O.

  Mayo Clinic in Rochester

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2024
• First Posted: March 21, 2024
• Study Start: August 8, 2023
• Primary Completion: January 29, 2024
• Study Completion: February 1, 2024
• Last Updated: October 29, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Locations

US (1)