Clinical trial · Interventional
Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors
Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
NCT07315672CI-TRIAL-00121420recruitingN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
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. Acupressure can reduce a cough-related symptom cluster (dyspnea-cough-fatigue) experienced by lung cancer survivors; 3. 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).
Conditions
Conditions (4)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acupressure | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Coughing | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Lung Cancer (Diagnosis) | Malignant Lung Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.85 |
| Symptom Cluster | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| acupressure | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Education | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Acupressure
- description
- 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.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: acupressure
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Education
- description
- 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.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * 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. Exclusion Criteria: * 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.
References
Publications (11)
- RESULTLuo 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. PMID 38704342
- RESULTZhou 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. PMID 38348918
- RESULTYang 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. PMID 38886988
- RESULTTakemura 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. PMID 40265563
- RESULTMolassiotis 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. PMID 33847150
- RESULTYorke 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. PMID 36283797
- RESULTKarlsson 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.