Acupressure Tested for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors
Tests acupressure against an education booklet for cough in adults with lung cancer.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- The University of Hong Kong
- Where
- Shenzhen, ChinaSee the siteAlso in 1 other country, 1 site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 80 people, planned
- Started
- 9 Mar 2026
- Expected to end
- Feb 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- acupressure
- Education
- Record updated
- 11 August 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with lung cancer who have a cough and can do acupressure on their own. It compares 8 weeks of acupressure with an education booklet.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes can join
- Disease stage
- Lung cancer of any stage and any pathological type, with a cough rated 3 or higher on a 0 to 10 scale within the 7 days before enrolment
- Earlier treatment
- Cannot have had acupressure or acupuncture in the 3 months before enrolment
Main reasons for not taking part
- Unstable chronic diseases other than lung cancer
- Acupressure or acupuncture in the 3 months before enrolment
- Serious illness or other conditions that prevent following the trial steps
- Life expectancy of less than 3 months
- Currently taking part in other research that may affect the results
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 11 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- 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 take part
- have received acupressure or acupuncture within the three months preceding study enrollment
- have unstable chronic diseases other than LC
- 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
Where in China
Also in 1 other country, 1 site
- University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, ChinaContact: Xian ChenTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
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.
Read full original descriptionShow less
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).
The 2 groups in the trial
- AcupressureTreatment being tested
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.
- EducationExisting treatment, for comparison
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.
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Plain-language title
- Acupressure Tested for Cough in Lung Cancer SurvivorsGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 11 August 2026