NCT07809776Recruiting
Tai Chi for Cancer-Related Fatigue During Radiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
A Prospective Randomized Controlled Phase II Trial of Tai Chi for Cancer-Related Fatigue During Radiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Malignancies
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 15 Sept 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This prospective, randomized controlled study will evaluate whether a Tai Chi exercise program can help reduce cancer-related fatigue in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. A total of 116 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a Tai Chi intervention group or a control group. Participants in the Tai Chi group will receive usual cancer care together with a 12-week Yang-style 16-form Tai Chi program. The exercise program will begin during radiotherapy preparation and will be adjusted according to the participant's treatment phase and physical condition. Participants in the control group will receive usual care, health education, and activity recording. The primary outcome is the change in cancer-related fatigue from baseline to within 7 days after completion of radiotherapy, measured using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) global score. The study will also assess fatigue at week 12 and functional exercise capacity using the 6-minute walk test.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 116 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 2 Sept 2026
- Start date
- 10 Sept 2026
- Primary completion date
- 30 Nov 2027
- Lead sponsor
- West China Hospital
- Diseases
- Head and neck cancer
- NCT number
- NCT07809776
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 116
- From 10 Sept 2026 to the primary completion date, 30 Nov 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Absolute contraindications to exercise, such as uncontrolled heart failure, severe arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or severe aortic stenosis.
- Severe musculoskeletal disease, neurological disease, or other physical disease that prevents completion of the prescribed exercise movements.
- Severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorder, such as severe depression or schizophrenia, that prevents compliance with study instructions.
Lab values
- Other conditions that may substantially confound fatigue assessment, including severe anemia (hemoglobin \<9.0 g/dL); hypothyroidism with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) \>5 mIU/L accompanied by clinical symptoms; hyperthyroidism with TSH \<0.3 mIU/L without stable treatment; Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score ≥15 with symptoms remaining unstable despite routine sleep management; or pain with a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score ≥4 that remains uncontrolled despite optimized analgesic management or requires escalation of treatment.
Other
- Uncontrolled brain metastases or severe bone metastases associated with a high risk of pathological fracture.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Participation in another structured exercise rehabilitation program or interventional study that may substantially affect the study outcomes.
Who the study is looking for
- Histologically confirmed primary malignant tumor of the head and neck and planned to receive radiotherapy.
- Age 18 to 80 years.
- No regular exercise during the previous 3 months, defined as less than 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise and less than 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1.
- Able to complete the baseline assessment before the start of radiotherapy.
- Provides written informed consent and is willing to comply with the supervised exercise program.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 80 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| West China Hospital，Sichuan University Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Chengdu | China | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.