Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8NCT05911243

Feasibility of Auricular Acupressure for Appetite and Weight in Patients With Stage II-IV Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer

A study testing Acupressure Therapy, Best Practice and Biospecimen Collection in people with Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8 and Clinical Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for: Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Gastric Cancer AJCC v8
What is being tested?: Acupressure Therapy, Best Practice and Biospecimen Collection
Type of treatment: Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 3 participants
Where: 1 siteUnited States
Study dates: 22 Jul 2024to 9 Jul 2025
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 to 65 years
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

18-65 years of age
Stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer
Appetite score on visual analog scale ≤ 70/100
At least 60 days of planned systemic treatment, whether already initiated or scheduled to be initiated
Access to phone and electronic device for study contacts and questionnaires
Willing and able to attend 4 in-person auricular acupressure treatments at the Fred Hutch South Lake Union Clinic

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Willing and able to perform 4 at-home self-applied treatments of auricular acupressure
Participants must not have received acupressure or acupuncture for low appetite within last 30 days
Participants must not be actively using corticosteroids, mirtazapine (Remeron), olanzapine (Zyprexa), or Marinol for appetite stimulation at baseline
Participants must be able to intake food orally and not require sole or supplemental intravenous nutrition at baseline
Participants must not have a history of physiological eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa) in the last 3 years
Participants must not have a current known or diagnosed immunodeficiency
Participants must have an intact auricular pinna
Able to understand and willing to sign written informed consent in English

Who cannot join

None listed.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium
Seattle, Washington, 98109

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of an Acupressure Intervention on Appetite and Weight in Patients With Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupressure to the ear (auricular) to address appetite and weight in patients with stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer. Cancer anorexia, the abnormal loss of appetite, directly leads to cancer-associated weight loss (cachexia) through malnourishment, reduced caloric intake, treatment side-effects, and other modifiable risk factors. Cachexia prolongs length of hospital stay for patients, negatively impacts treatment tolerance and adherence, and reduces overall patient quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a form of micro-acupuncture that exerts its effect by stimulating the central nervous system using adhesive taped pellets applied to specific locations on the external ear. The use of these pellets to deliver auricular acupressure has been shown to improve pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and quality of life in both cancer and non-cancer settings. Auricular acupressure is a safe, inexpensive, and non-invasive approach to addressing cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects and may be effective at improving appetite and weight loss in stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer patients.

Read the detailed description

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

ARM II: Patients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

After completion of study treatment, patients in Arm II are followed up at 8 weeks after active treatment ends.

Conditions: Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Gastric Cancer AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Gastric Cancer AJCC v8
Being tested: Acupressure Therapy, Best Practice, Biospecimen Collection, Questionnaire Administration
Medical subject headings: Pancreatic Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Acupressure TherapyProcedure or surgery
Also called Acupressure, Ischemic Compression
Undergo auricular acupressure
Best PracticeOther
Also called standard of care, standard therapy
Receive usual care
Biospecimen CollectionProcedure or surgery
Also called Biological Sample Collection, Biospecimen Collected, Specimen Collection
Undergo collection of blood samples
Questionnaire AdministrationOther
Also called Quality of Life Assessment
Ancillary studies

Study groups in NCT05911243
Study group	Role	What they receive
Arm I (acupressure therapy)	Experimental	Patients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study. Receives: Procedure: Acupressure Therapy; Other: Best Practice; Procedure: Biospecimen Collection; Other: Questionnaire Administration
Arm II (usual care)	Active comparator	Patients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study. Receives: Other: Best Practice; Procedure: Biospecimen Collection; Other: Questionnaire Administration

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Accrual (Feasibility)
Accrual will be measured by the average rate of participants-per-month enrolled into both groups with the goal of 5 patients/month over a 15-month period.
Measured: Up to 2 years, during study accrual
Retention (Feasibility)
Retention will be measured by the number of participants who remain in the trial and provide data at the closeout visit.
Measured: Up to 8 weeks
Intervention Adherence (Feasibility)
Adherence will be measured in the intervention group by the number of applied auricular acupressure treatments, with the total possible being 8.
Measured: Up to 8 weeks
Intervention Fidelity (Feasibility)
Fidelity will be assessed by study team adherence to symptom query and appropriate ear seed point modifications to the standard protocol and accuracy of seed placement according to photographic analysis.
Measured: Up to 8 weeks
Acceptability (Feasibility)
Acceptability will be assessed using a random convenience sample of participants and providers through semi-structured interviews.
Measured: Up to 16 weeks

Secondary outcomes (4)

Change in Appetite
As measured by the Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale. Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 4.
The Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale is a 12-item subscale that measures the symptoms and concerns of patients with anorexia/cachexia. The subscale can be used as a standalone instrument. Patients rate each item from 0 to 4 (0 = Not at all; 1 = A little bit; 2 = Somewhat; 3 = Quite a bit; and 4 = Very Much). The recall period for each question is "during the past 7 days". As each of the 12 items ranges from 0-4, the range of possible scores is 0-48, with 0 being the worst possible score and 48 the best. To obtain the 0-48 score each negatively-worded item response is recoded so that 0 is a bad response and 4 is good response.
Measured: Baseline to week 4
Change in Appetite
As measured by the Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale. Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 8.
The Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale is a 12-item subscale that measures the symptoms and concerns of patients with anorexia/cachexia. The subscale can be used as a standalone instrument. Patients rate each item from 0 to 4 (0 = Not at all; 1 = A little bit; 2 = Somewhat; 3 = Quite a bit; and 4 = Very Much). The recall period for each question is "during the past 7 days". As each of the 12 items ranges from 0-4, the range of possible scores is 0-48, with 0 being the worst possible score and 48 the best. To obtain the 0-48 score each negatively-worded item response is recoded so that 0 is a bad response and 4 is good response.
Measured: Baseline to week 8
Change in Body Weight (kg)
Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 4.
Measured: Baseline to week 4
Change in Body Weight (kg)
Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 8.
Measured: Baseline to week 8

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

22 Jul 20249 Jul 2025

First posted20 Jun 2023
Study start22 Jul 2024
Primary completion9 Jul 2025
Study completion9 Jul 2025

Why it stopped: Study closed per SRC Low Accrual Policy.

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
Other trials for Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
More trials run by University of WashingtonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Double blind
Who is masked: Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment: 3 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05911243
Sponsor's protocol ID: RG1123492
Other IDs: NCI-2023-03942, RG1123492, 3KL2TR002317
Status last verified: Oct 2026
First submitted: 12 Jun 2023
Last updated: 3 Nov 2026
Results posted: Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
Data monitoring committee: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: Yes: Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in published articles after de-identification may be made available upon request (text, tables, figures, and appendices).

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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Futibatinib With Paclitaxel and Ramucirumab for the Treatment of Locally Advanced or Unresectable Gastric, Gastroesophageal Junction, or Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
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All Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8 trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of an Acupressure Intervention on Appetite and Weight in Patients With Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot and Feasibility Study
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05911243
Acronym / sponsor ID: RG1123492
Conditions: Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Gastric Cancer AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Gastric Cancer AJCC v8
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: TerminatedReason stopped: Study closed per SRC Low Accrual Policy.
Enrolment: 3 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: University of WashingtonUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Study start: 22 Jul 2024 (actual)
Primary completion: 9 Jul 2025 (actual)
Study completion: 9 Jul 2025 (actual)
First posted: 20 Jun 2023 (actual)
Results: Posted 3 Nov 2026

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

ARM II: Patients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

After completion of study treatment, patients in Arm II are followed up at 8 weeks after active treatment ends.

Study design

Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
Number of arms: 2

Arm	Type	Receives
Arm I (acupressure therapy)	Experimental	Procedure: Acupressure Therapy, Other: Best Practice, Procedure: Biospecimen Collection, Other: Questionnaire AdministrationPatients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.
Arm II (usual care)	Active comparator	Other: Best Practice, Procedure: Biospecimen Collection, Other: Questionnaire AdministrationPatients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 to 65 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (14 listed)

18-65 years of age
Stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer
Appetite score on visual analog scale ≤ 70/100
At least 60 days of planned systemic treatment, whether already initiated or scheduled to be initiated
Access to phone and electronic device for study contacts and questionnaires

Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Acupressure TherapyAlso: Acupressure, Ischemic CompressionUndergo auricular acupressure	Procedure or surgery	Arm I (acupressure therapy)
Best PracticeAlso: standard of care, standard therapyReceive usual care	Other	Arm I (acupressure therapy), Arm II (usual care)
Biospecimen CollectionAlso: Biological Sample Collection, Biospecimen Collected, Specimen CollectionUndergo collection of blood samples	Procedure or surgery	Arm I (acupressure therapy), Arm II (usual care)
Questionnaire AdministrationAlso: Quality of Life AssessmentAncillary studies	Other	Arm I (acupressure therapy), Arm II (usual care)

Primary outcome

Accrual (Feasibility)
Time frame: Up to 2 years, during study accrual
Accrual will be measured by the average rate of participants-per-month enrolled into both groups with the goal of 5 patients/month over a 15-month period.
Retention (Feasibility)
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks
Retention will be measured by the number of participants who remain in the trial and provide data at the closeout visit.
Intervention Adherence (Feasibility)
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks
Adherence will be measured in the intervention group by the number of applied auricular acupressure treatments, with the total possible being 8.
Intervention Fidelity (Feasibility)
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks
Fidelity will be assessed by study team adherence to symptom query and appropriate ear seed point modifications to the standard protocol and accuracy of seed placement according to photographic analysis.
Acceptability (Feasibility)
Time frame: Up to 16 weeks
Acceptability will be assessed using a random convenience sample of participants and providers through semi-structured interviews.

4 secondary outcomes

Change in Appetite
Time frame: Baseline to week 4
Change in Appetite
Time frame: Baseline to week 8
Change in Body Weight (kg)
Time frame: Baseline to week 4
Change in Body Weight (kg)
Time frame: Baseline to week 8

Results and safety

Results posted to the registry on 3 Nov 2026, as reported by the sponsor. Figures are copied from the record, not re-analysed. Full results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Participant flow

Group	Started	Completed
Arm I (Acupressure Therapy)	0	0
Arm II (Usual Care)	3	1

Primary outcome: Accrual (Feasibility)

Time frame: Up to 2 years, during study accrual. Count of participants. Unit: Participants

Measure	Arm I (Acupressure Therapy) n = 0	Arm II (Usual Care) n = 3
Value	–	3

Population analysed: All randomized participants were allocated to Arm II (usual care).

Primary outcome: Retention (Feasibility)

Time frame: Up to 8 weeks. Count of participants. Unit: Participants

Measure	Arm I (Acupressure Therapy) n = 0	Arm II (Usual Care) n = 3
Value	–	1

Population analysed: All randomized participants were allocated to Arm II (usual care).

Primary outcome: Intervention Adherence (Feasibility)

Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

Population analysed: All randomized participants were allocated to Arm II (usual care). No participants elected to receive the acupressure therapy intervention either due to participant preference, expiration, or lost to follow-up.

Primary outcome: Intervention Fidelity (Feasibility)

Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

Population analysed: All randomized participants were allocated to Arm II (usual care). As no participants received the acupressure intervention, fidelity to protocol could not be analyzed.

4 secondary outcomes are reported in the full results.

Adverse events

Time frame: Adverse events were collected throughout the intervention period (8 weeks).. Other adverse events reported at 0% frequency or more

Group	Serious adverse events	Other adverse events	Deaths
Arm I (Acupressure Therapy)	0 of 0	0 of 0	0
Arm II (Usual Care)	0 of 3 (0%)	0 of 3 (0%)	1 of 3

Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Nov 2026.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in published articles after de-identification may be made available upon request (text, tables, figures, and appendices).

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

Blake Langley principal investigator

Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 14 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 3 Nov 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Accrual (Feasibility) (time frame: Up to 2 years, during study accrual). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05911243.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Nov 2026.