Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System NeoplasmNCT06442891
Self-Administered Relaxing Acupressure to Reduce Fatigue in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors
A study testing Acupressure Therapy, Internet-Based Intervention and Interview in people with Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm and Malignant Solid Neoplasm, run by University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This clinical trial tests the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure on fatigue in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Acupressure, a type of complementary or alternative medicine, is the application of pressure or localized massage to specific sites on the body to control symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 15 to 39 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm, Malignant Solid Neoplasm
- What is being tested?
- Acupressure Therapy, Internet-Based Intervention and Interview
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2024to 22 Dec 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 15 to 39 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 15 - 39 years old
- At least three months post cancer treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation or chemotherapy). Participants receiving maintenance hormonal or targeted therapies will be allowed to enroll as determined by the study investigator
- Report clinically relevant fatigue in the past seven days (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems [PROMIS] Fatigue 4a scores ≥ 55)
- Speak / read English
- CRF started at or after the diagnosis of cancer
- Completed cancer treatment within the past five years
Who cannot join
- Diagnosis of untreated anemia, mood disorder, or hypothyroidism
- Plan to begin new pharmacological, psychological, or other treatments (i.e., physical therapy or dietary supplements) for CRF during the study. Although, participants may continue usual treatments for CRF if the treatments were initiated at least eight weeks prior to study enrollment, and the dose has not changed
- Plan to become pregnant or lactating during the study period
- Received acupressure or acupuncture in the past year
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
About this study
Official title: A Pilot Study of Self-Administered Acupressure for Fatigue Among Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Survivors
This clinical trial tests the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure on fatigue in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Acupressure, a type of complementary or alternative medicine, is the application of pressure or localized massage to specific sites on the body to control symptoms. Relaxing acupressure has been shown to improve cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in adults, however, less is known about the impact of relaxing acupressure on CRF in AYA cancer survivors."
Read the detailed description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
- Determine the feasibility of implementing a randomized controlled trial of a six-week, self-administered relaxing acupressure intervention in AYA cancer survivors with clinically relevant CRF.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
- Explore participants' perspectives of acceptability and satisfaction with the six-week acupressure interventions using semi-structured interviews.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:
- Determine the preliminary efficacy of a six-week, virtual, self-administered relaxing acupressure intervention on clinically significant changes in CRF in post-treatment AYA cancer survivors.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM I: Patients receive access to an acupressure mobile application and self-administer relaxing acupressure to 9 acupoints over 27 minutes once daily (QD) for 6 weeks.
ARM II: Patients receive access to an acupressure mobile application and self-administer sham acupressure to non-acupressure point locations over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks.
Enrollment was increased to 45.
- Being tested
- Acupressure Therapy, Internet-Based Intervention, Interview, Questionnaire Administration
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
Self-administer relaxing acupressure
Acupressure TherapyProcedure or surgery
Also called Acupressure, Ischemic Compression
Self-administer sham acupressure
Internet-Based InterventionOther
Receive access to acupressure mobile app
InterviewOther
Ancillary studies
Questionnaire AdministrationOther
Ancillary studies
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ARM I (relaxing acupressure) | Experimental | Patients receive access to acupressure mobile application and self-administer relaxing acupressure to 9 acupoints over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks. Receives: Procedure: Acupressure Therapy; Other: Internet-Based Intervention; Other: Interview; Other: Questionnaire Administration |
| ARM II (sham acupressure) | Placebo comparator | Patients receive access to acupressure mobile application and self-administer sham acupressure to non-acupressure point locations over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks. Receives: Procedure: Acupressure Therapy; Other: Internet-Based Intervention; Other: Interview; Other: Questionnaire Administration |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Recruitment Rate
Self-administered acupressure implementation will be feasible if all participants are recruited over 2 years. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize recruitment rate.
Measured: 1 year
Number of Participants With Adherence
Self-administered acupressure implementation will be feasible if 60% of participants complete the baseline and 6-week patient-reported measures and if 60% of acupressure group participants self-report acupressure practice for at least 27 minutes on at least 3 days per week. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize adherence.
Measured: At 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Fatigue
Measured using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems Fatigue 4a questionnaire. Results are continuously scaled and appropriately analyzed by Gaussian-based statistical models. Change in fatigue will be analyzed using a Full Information Maximum Likelihood mixed-effects linear regression model. Specifically, change from baseline will be evaluated by including fixed-effects coefficients for time, treatment, and the important interaction effects that will determine whether changes from baseline are greater in the relaxing acupressure group, relative to controls. Random Y-intercepts in the model will be incorporated to accommodate the nesting of repeated observations within subject. Change in fatigue will be analyzed using a Full Information Maximum Likelihood mixed-effects linear regression model. Range score is 30-80 and increasing scores indicate worse symptoms.
Measured: baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks after starting treatment
Acceptability E - Scale
Interview data will be analyzed using inductive content analysis. Perspectives of the intervention will be analyzed using inductive content analysis. (1 - 5, higher scores = greater acceptability) from the Acceptability E-Scale (Tariman et al., 2011) applies to all rows listed
Measured: 6 weeks after starting treatment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Jun 2024
- Study start1 Oct 2024
- Primary completion22 Dec 2025
- Study completion22 Dec 2025
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.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System NeoplasmStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Michigan Rogel Cancer CenterThe 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Robert Knoerl, Principal investigator, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06442891
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UMCC 2024.016
- Other IDs
- NCI-2024-03772, HUM00248915
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 30 May 2024
- Last updated
- 23 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Knoerl R, Jardine J, Chugh R, Fecher LA, Henry NL, Joquico M, Karimi Y, Ploutz-Snyder R, Taylor S, Walling E, Zick S. Determining the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure for fatigue among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2026 Jun 24;34(7):684. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10917-2.
PubMed 42337155
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Pilot Study of Self-Administered Acupressure for Fatigue Among Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Survivors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06442891
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UMCC 2024.016
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 23 Jun 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This clinical trial tests the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure on fatigue in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Acupressure, a type of complementary or alternative medicine, is the application of pressure or localized massage to specific sites on the body to control symptoms. Relaxing acupressure has been shown to improve cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in adults, however, less is known about the impact of relaxing acupressure on CRF in AYA cancer survivors."
Detailed description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
- Determine the feasibility of implementing a randomized controlled trial of a six-week, self-administered relaxing acupressure intervention in AYA cancer survivors with clinically relevant CRF.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
- Explore participants' perspectives of acceptability and satisfaction with the six-week acupressure interventions using semi-structured interviews.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:
- Determine the preliminary efficacy of a six-week, virtual, self-administered relaxing acupressure intervention on clinically significant changes in CRF in post-treatment AYA cancer survivors.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM I: Patients receive access to an acupressure mobile application and self-administer relaxing acupressure to 9 acupoints over 27 minutes once daily (QD) for 6 weeks.
ARM II: Patients receive access to an acupressure mobile application and self-administer sham acupressure to non-acupressure point locations over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks.
Enrollment was increased to 45.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ARM I (relaxing acupressure) | Experimental | Procedure: Acupressure Therapy, Other: Internet-Based Intervention, Other: Interview, Other: Questionnaire AdministrationPatients receive access to acupressure mobile application and self-administer relaxing acupressure to 9 acupoints over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks. |
| ARM II (sham acupressure) | Placebo comparator | Procedure: Acupressure Therapy, Other: Internet-Based Intervention, Other: Interview, Other: Questionnaire AdministrationPatients receive access to acupressure mobile application and self-administer sham acupressure to non-acupressure point locations over 27 minutes QD for 6 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 15 to 39 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 15 - 39 years old
- At least three months post cancer treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation or chemotherapy). Participants receiving maintenance hormonal or targeted therapies will be allowed to enroll as determined by the study investigator
- Report clinically relevant fatigue in the past seven days (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems [PROMIS] Fatigue 4a scores ≥ 55)
- Speak / read English
- CRF started at or after the diagnosis of cancer
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Diagnosis of untreated anemia, mood disorder, or hypothyroidism
- Plan to begin new pharmacological, psychological, or other treatments (i.e., physical therapy or dietary supplements) for CRF during the study. Although, participants may continue usual treatments for CRF if the treatments were initiated at least eight weeks prior to study enrollment, and the dose has not changed
- Plan to become pregnant or lactating during the study period
- Received acupressure or acupuncture in the past year
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 CompressionSelf-administer relaxing acupressure | Procedure or surgery | ARM I (relaxing acupressure) |
| Acupressure TherapyAlso: Acupressure, Ischemic CompressionSelf-administer sham acupressure | Procedure or surgery | ARM II (sham acupressure) |
| Internet-Based InterventionReceive access to acupressure mobile app | Other | ARM I (relaxing acupressure), ARM II (sham acupressure) |
| InterviewAncillary studies | Other | ARM I (relaxing acupressure), ARM II (sham acupressure) |
| Questionnaire AdministrationAncillary studies | Other | ARM I (relaxing acupressure), ARM II (sham acupressure) |
Primary outcome
Recruitment Rate
Time frame: 1 year
Self-administered acupressure implementation will be feasible if all participants are recruited over 2 years. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize recruitment rate.
Number of Participants With Adherence
Time frame: At 6 weeks
Self-administered acupressure implementation will be feasible if 60% of participants complete the baseline and 6-week patient-reported measures and if 60% of acupressure group participants self-report acupressure practice for at least 27 minutes on at least 3 days per week. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize adherence.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Fatigue
Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks after starting treatment
Acceptability E - Scale
Time frame: 6 weeks after starting treatment
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Jun 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42337155Knoerl R, Jardine J, Chugh R, Fecher LA, Henry NL, Joquico M, Karimi Y, Ploutz-Snyder R, Taylor S, Walling E, Zick S. Determining the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure for fatigue among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2026 Jun 24;34(7):684. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10917-2.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
Robert Knoerl principal investigator
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acupressure Therapy, Internet-Based Intervention and Interview in people with Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm and Malignant Solid Neoplasm, run by University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
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 6 inclusion and 4 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Jun 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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 23 Jun 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?
Recruitment Rate (time frame: 1 year). The study lists 2 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 NCT06442891, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 23 Jun 2026.