Lung Cancer (Diagnosis)NCT07315672
Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors
A study testing acupressure and Education in people with Lung Cancer (Diagnosis) and Acupressure, run by The University of Hong Kong at 2 sites in 2 countries.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to examine the effect of an acupressure intervention in alleviating cough and reducing co-occurring symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and fatigue) in patients with lung cancer. The hypotheses are: 1. Acupressure can alleviate cough in lung cancer survivors; 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Lung Cancer (Diagnosis), Acupressure, Coughing
- What is being tested?
- acupressure and Education
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesin 2 countries
- Study dates
- 9 Mar 2026to Feb 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- be at least 18 years of age;
- have a diagnosis of LC at any stage and of any pathological type;
- have a cough symptom rating ≥3 on a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale within 7 days preceding enrollment;
- can perform acupressure independently in daily activities;
- be able to read Chinese and communicate in Cantonese or Mandarin;
- be able to provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- have unstable chronic diseases other than LC;
- have received acupressure or acupuncture within the three months preceding study enrollment;
- have serious illnesses or other conditions that prevent the participants from following the intervention protocols;
- have a life expectancy of less than 3 months;
- Be currently participating in other research programs that may affect the outcomes under investigation.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 2 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
2 sites in 2 countries
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital
Shenzhen, Guangdong, 0755
Xian Chen, +86 13728867748, chenx1@hku-szh.org
Xian Chen
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Queen Mary Hospital
Hong Kong, 0000
Mengyao Cao, +852-96733602, u3590805@connect.hku.hk
u3590805@connect.hku.hk
About this study
Official title: Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to examine the effect of an acupressure intervention in alleviating cough and reducing co-occurring symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and fatigue) in patients with lung cancer.
The hypotheses are:
Read more
- Acupressure can alleviate cough in lung cancer survivors;
- Acupressure can reduce a cough-related symptom cluster (dyspnea-cough-fatigue) experienced by lung cancer survivors;
- Acupressure can reduce the symptom burden and improve the health-related quality of life and functional capacity of lung cancer survivors experiencing cough.
Participants will:
Receive acupressure for 8 weeks or receive an education booklet; Keep a diary of their acupressure practice and symptoms; Be assessed at baseline (T0), early intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 8 weeks after the intervention period (T3).
Read the detailed description
Lung cancer survivors often exhibit multiple symptoms, among which cough and its co-occurring symptoms have been identified as a group of prevalent and persistent symptoms that substantially impact their quality of life and overall survival. Research has identified cough as the sentinel symptom of the respiratory symptom cluster in lung cancer patients, underscoring the critical need for effective management strategies. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of a safe and self-administerable acupressure intervention on alleviating cough, reducing the dyspnea-cough-fatigue symptom cluster, and improving symptom burden, functional capacity, and quality of life in this patient population.
- Conditions
- Lung Cancer (Diagnosis), Acupressure, Coughing, Symptom Cluster
- Being tested
- acupressure, Education
- Keywords
- Acupressure, Cough, Lung Cancer, Dyspnea, Symptom Cluster, Symptom Burden, Fatigue, Quality of Life
- Medical subject headings
- Lung Neoplasms, Disease, Cough, Syndrome, Dyspnea, Fatigue
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
acupressureBehavioural
Participants will perform acupressure for 8 weeks and keep practice records in a diary log. Trainers will follow up with the participants twice weekly via phone or face-to-face to assess and reinforce their practice and address acupressure-related questions.
EducationOther
Participants will receive an educational booklet in the first week after the baseline assessment and complete evaluations concurrently with the experimental group. Upon study completion, they will be offered a place on a waitlist for the same acupressure intervention provided to the experimental group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Acupressure | Experimental | Participants will receive an 8-week acupressure intervention. After completing two hospital training sessions, the participants will perform acupressure every day for eight consecutive weeks in their daily activities following an evidence-based acupressure protocol, which will be developed based on the Chinese meridian theory, expert consensus and a comprehensive literature review of previous evidence on LC cough management. In the first week, two training sessions will be conducted to ensure the competency of the participants in performing acupressure. Afterwards, participants will be instructed to press each of the 15 designated acupoints until they experience sensations of soreness, numbness or distension, for 1 minute per time, at least two prescribed times daily (once between 9-11 am and once between 5-7 pm), and additionally during cough episodes, wherever they feel appropriate. Receives: Behavioral: acupressure |
| Education | Active comparator | Participants will receive an educational booklet that includes information on the disease and treatments of LC, causes and consequences of cough, and advice on cough prevention and management. Receives: Other: Education |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Cough
The cough will be evaluated using the Cough Evaluation Test (CET). The 5-item instrument assesses cough under physical, psychological and social domains, with each item graded on a five-point scale, with a higher total score indicating a greater level of symptom and an MCID of 2 points.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Secondary outcomes (7)
Cough-related quality of life
The Mandarin Chinese version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ-MC) will be used to assess cough-related quality of life. The widely adopted questionnaire has established satisfactory internal consistency (with Cronbach's α between 0.74 and 0.90) and test-retest reliability (with intraclass correlation coefficients between 0.89 and 0.95). The 19-item LCQ-MC has an MCID of 3.0 points. A lower total score indicates a greater level of symptom severity and poorer cough-related quality of life.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Dyspnea-cough-fatigue symptom cluster
The dyspnea-cough-fatigue symptom cluster will be assessed in terms of the occurrence and severity. The presence of the symptom cluster is defined as having all three symptoms. Severity of the dyspnea-cough-fatigue symptom cluster will be quantified using the average score of all three items (dyspnea, cough, and fatigue) from the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer (MDASI-LC).
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Dyspnea
Dyspnea will be measured using Dyspnea-12 (D-12). The 12-item instrument consists of two subscales (physical and affective), with each item graded on a 4-point scale from 0 (no dyspnea) to 3 (severe dyspnea).
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Fatigue
The 9-item Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) will be used to measure fatigue levels. The instrument has two dimensions - severity and interference, with a higher total score indicating a greater symptom burden.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Symptom burden
The symptom burden of the participants will be measured using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer (MDASI-LC), which consists of 16 symptom items and 6 interference items.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Functional capacity
Functional capacity will be assessed using the 6-minute Walking Test (6MWT), a valid and widely used test among patients with respiratory diseases.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Health-related quality of life
Health-related quality of life will be measured with the 36-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) under five dimensions: physical, emotional, social, functional well-being, and LC-specific symptoms.
Measured: Pre-intervention (T0, baseline); Early intervention (T1, 1 week after T0); Post-intervention (T2, 8 weeks after T0); Follow-up (T3, 16 weeks after T0)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Jan 2026
- Study start9 Mar 2026
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (11)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Lung Cancer (Diagnosis)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Hong KongThe 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
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Cheung Shuk-Ting, The University of Hong Kong
- Investigators
- Denise Shuk Ting Cheung, PhD, Study director, The University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07315672
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UW24615
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: We are not to share IPD. All IPD will be managed confidentially, using only a unique ID for identification. Access to data is limited to the research team during the study. The principal investigator is responsible for data security.
Publications
Luo Y, Luo J, Su Q, Yang Z, Miao J, Zhang L. Exploring Central and Bridge Symptoms in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Network Analysis. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024 Jun;40(3):151651. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151651. Epub 2024 May 3.
PubMed 38704342Zhou X, Lei C, Wei X, Dai W, Xu W, Ao Y, Li X, Qiao G, Shi Q. Patient's experiences of coughing after lung cancer surgery: A multicenter qualitative study. Cancer Med. 2024 Jan;13(2):e6993. doi: 10.1002/cam4.6993.
PubMed 38348918Yang X, Bai J, Zhang J, Wang Y, Zhao H, Zhu X. Symptom clusters and their impacts on the quality of life of patients with lung cancer receiving immunotherapy: A cross-sectional study. J Clin Nurs. 2025 May;34(5):1725-1740. doi: 10.1111/jocn.17321. Epub 2024 Jun 17.
PubMed 38886988Takemura N, Yorke J. Respiratory symptom cluster in people with lung cancer. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2025 Jun 1;19(2):71-76. doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000754. Epub 2025 Mar 19.
PubMed 40265563Molassiotis A, Vu DV, Ching SSY. The Effectiveness of Qigong in Managing a Cluster of Symptoms (Breathlessness-Fatigue-Anxiety) in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Integr Cancer Ther. 2021 Jan-Dec;20:15347354211008253. doi: 10.1177/15347354211008253.
PubMed 33847150Yorke J, Johnson MJ, Punnett G, Smith J, Blackhall F, Lloyd Williams M, Mackereth P, Haines J, Ryder D, Krishan A, Davies L, Khan A, Molassiotis A. Respiratory distress symptom intervention for non-pharmacological management of the lung cancer breathlessness-cough-fatigue symptom cluster: randomised controlled trial. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2024 Jan 8;13(e3):e1181-e1190. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2022-003924.
PubMed 36283797Karlsson K, Olsson C, Erlandsson A, Ahlberg KM, Larsson M. Exploring Symptom Clusters and Their Measurements in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Scoping Review for Practice and Research. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2023 Oct 19;50(6):783-815. doi: 10.1188/23.ONF.783-815.
PubMed 37874760Cheville AL, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Basford JR, Wampfler JA, Garces YI, Jatoi A, Yang P. The value of a symptom cluster of fatigue, dyspnea, and cough in predicting clinical outcomes in lung cancer survivors. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011 Aug;42(2):213-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.11.005. Epub 2011 Mar 12.
PubMed 21398089Molassiotis A, Lowe M, Blackhall F, Lorigan P. A qualitative exploration of a respiratory distress symptom cluster in lung cancer: cough, breathlessness and fatigue. Lung Cancer. 2011 Jan;71(1):94-102. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2010.04.002. Epub 2010 May 2.
PubMed 20439127Li Y, Wang Q, Liu C, Hu X. Symptom clusters and their impact on quality of life among Chinese patients with lung cancer: A cross-sectional study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2023 Dec;67:102465. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102465. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
PubMed 37956567Chen K, Yang D, Li F, Gao L, Tian Y, Xu B, Xu X, Xu Q, Cao J. Changes in the symptom clusters of elderly patients with lung cancer over the course of postoperative rehabilitation and their correlation with frailty and quality of life: A longitudinal study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2023 Dec;67:102388. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102388. Epub 2023 Jul 24.
PubMed 37948789