Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Light strokes, big relief? touch therapy eases cancer fatigue

NCT ID NCT07524179

Symptom relief Sponsor: Erzurum Technical University 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether a gentle, light-touch therapy (therapeutic touch) could help advanced cancer patients in palliative care sleep better and feel less tired. Sixty-one patients were randomly assigned to receive either 5 days of 10-15 minute touch sessions or standard care. Researchers measured sleep quality and fatigue before and after treatment. The goal is to see if this simple, non-drug approach can improve comfort for people with serious illness.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
therapeutic touch (gentle, light stroking of head, shoulders, hands, and feet)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help advanced cancer patients sleep better and feel less tired.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study with only 61 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect may be due to extra attention rather than the touch itself.

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

61 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2024

Finished

Aug 2024

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

18 to 100 years

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: * Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Pathologically confirmed advanced-stage cancer (stage 3-4) * Receiving palliative care treatment * Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) score ≤50 * Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score ≥4 * Mini-Mental Test score ≥24 Exclusion Criteria: * Known diagnosis of a major sleep disorder * Presence of acute infection * Widespread dermatological lesions compromising skin integrity (e.g., ulcer, eczema) * Dementia, delirium, or severe cognitive impairment * Hearing or vision loss that would hinder therapeutic communication * Medical condition that would contraindicate the application as determined by the palliative care team

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cancer are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cancer Fatigue myalgic encephalomeyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome neoplasm sleep disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cancer Fatigue syndrome, chronic Palliative care Sleep Therapeutic touch

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Erzurum City Hospital Palliative Care Service

    Erzurum, Merkez, 02040, Turkey (Türkiye)

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.