NCT07315672

Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors

Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

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. 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).

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

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	acupressure	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.
OTHER	Education	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-10-01
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2026-01-02
• Last updated: 2026-01-09

Locations

2 sites across 2 countries: China, Hong Kong