Ancient acupressure meets modern medicine: can ear stimulation replace standard Anti-Nausea drugs?
NCT ID NCT07716228
First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 3 trial tests whether a combination of ear acupressure (stimulating specific points on the ear) and a low dose of the steroid dexamethasone can prevent nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy as effectively as standard antiemetic drugs in pancreatic cancer patients. Participants receiving gemcitabine and paclitaxel protein-bound will be randomly assigned to either the acupressure-plus-dexamethasone group or a standard drug regimen. The study tracks nausea, vomiting, appetite, and gastrointestinal function over five days after each chemo session.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- auricular point stimulation (acupressure on ear points) plus dexamethasone
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this approach could offer a drug-sparing, low-cost option to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, improving quality of life during treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial, and the non-inferiority design means it may not prove superiority. The acupressure effect may be placebo-driven, and results may not generalize to other chemo regimens.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGHangzhou, China
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