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Can light therapy unblock a common cancer side effect?

NCT ID NCT04318808

Symptom relief Sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether laser acupuncture, a non-invasive therapy using low-intensity light on traditional acupoints, can relieve constipation in people with advanced cancer. Participants are adults with advanced cancer who have constipation despite using laxatives. The study measures changes in complete spontaneous bowel movements and comfort during defecation, comparing laser acupuncture to a sham procedure in a double-blind design.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Laser acupuncture
What this could lead to
If effective, laser acupuncture could offer a drug-free, non-invasive option to relieve constipation and improve comfort in advanced cancer patients.
What could go wrong
This is a small early-stage trial, and results may not apply broadly. The therapy may not outperform placebo, and individual responses can vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

40 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2020

Finished

Aug 2022

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

20 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 20 years or older * Principal diagnosis of advanced cancer * Diagnosis of constipation * Treat with laxatives for at least 1 week but still have symptoms of constipation Exclusion Criteria: * Intestinal obstruction * Disturbance of consciousness * Active gastrointestinal bleeding * Active intraabdominal infection * Local skin infection on the acupoints or limb amputees.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cancer constipation disorder neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Advanced cancer Constipation

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

    Kaohsiung City, 833, Taiwan

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