Trial results for a study investigating acupressure for fatigue in ovarian cancer survivors were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-02-05, with 171 participants enrolled.
Background
Ovarian cancer is a significant health challenge, and while treatments have advanced, patients often experience debilitating side effects, including chronic fatigue. This fatigue can persist long after active treatment, impacting quality of life for survivors. Non-pharmacological interventions are often explored to manage such symptoms, and acupressure, a traditional practice involving pressure application to specific body points, is one such approach being investigated for its potential to alleviate chronic fatigue in various patient populations.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 171 participants to investigate conditions including Fatigue and Ovarian Cancer. The trial aimed to determine if acupressure could help reduce the severity of fatigue experienced by ovarian cancer patients. The study design included three groups: Acupressure Plus Standard of Care, Sham Acupressure Plus Standard of Care, and Standard of Care alone. Acupressure involved applying mild to moderate physical pressure to specific points on the skin.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements related to the change in level of fatigue at Week 6 and up to Week 24:
- Change in Level of Fatigue at Week 6 (mean score):
- Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 5.57
- Sham Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 5.30
- Standard of Care: 5.38
- Change in Level of Fatigue at Week 6 (mean score - second measurement set):
- Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 3.52
- Sham Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 4.06
- Standard of Care: 4.96
- Change in Level of Fatigue up to Week 24 (mean score):
- Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 5.57
- Sham Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 5.30
- Standard of Care: 5.38
- Change in Level of Fatigue up to Week 24 (mean score - second measurement set):
- Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 3.55
- Sham Acupressure Plus Standard of Care: 4.09
- Standard of Care: 5.15
What this means
The posted results provide mean scores for changes in fatigue levels across different intervention groups and time points. For one set of measurements, Acupressure Plus Standard of Care showed a mean change of 5.57 at both Week 6 and Week 24, which was slightly higher than Sham Acupressure (5.30) and Standard of Care (5.38). For a second set of measurements, Acupressure Plus Standard of Care showed mean changes of 3.52 at Week 6 and 3.55 at Week 24, which were lower than both Sham Acupressure (4.06 at Week 6, 4.09 at Week 24) and Standard of Care (4.96 at Week 6, 5.15 at Week 24). The interpretation of whether higher or lower mean change scores indicate greater improvement in fatigue was not specified in the available data. These measurements contribute to the understanding of observed changes in fatigue levels among ovarian cancer survivors receiving acupressure or standard care.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT03763838, titled "Acupressure for Fatigue in Ovarian Cancer Survivors", were posted on 2026-02-05 on clinicaltrials.gov.