Study Summary
The Acupressure for Children in Treatment for a Childhood Cancer (ACT-CC) study tests whether providing daily acupressure, along with usual care, can reduce treatment- related symptoms in patients currently undergoing treatment for cancer, or a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant involving a chemotherapy-cased conditioning regimen. ACT-CC uses acupressure (not needles) to specifically decrease nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue and improve well-being.
Despite advances in symptom management, children undergoing cancer treatment or receiving a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant, often suffer from moderate to severe symptoms of nausea/vomiting, pain, fatigue, and psychological distress. Pharmacologic treatments of symptoms can cause side-effects, and patients, parents, and clinicians have expressed interest in including non-pharmacologic approaches to symptom management. Acupuncture/acupressure is a promising adjunctive therapy to usual care. This study is being conducted because more research is needed to determine the whether acupressure could help reduce symptoms in children.
Non-Pharmacologic Approach
Study Design
390 participants will be randomized 1:1 into 2 study arms (195 in each arm). Arm A participants will be offered usual care and professional acupressure 5-7 days/week and a parent/caregiver will be instructed in acupressure delivery for the child as symptoms arise. Arm B participants will receive usual care alone. (At the study end, Arm B parents will be offered acupressure instructions.) Children will be enrolled for ~30 days which can occur with one month of continuous hospital- based treatment or two months of intermittent treatment (inpatient or outpatient). Parent and child participants will receive a follow-up interview one month after completion of the intervention (Arm A) or the final symptom assessment (Arm B).
