Reiki Therapy to Improve Key Symptoms in Integrative Oncology Clinic (REIKI)

November 4, 2025 updated by: Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
The purpose of this research is to investigate the delivery of Reiki to integrative oncology patients and assess its potential for improving cancer-related symptoms in this population.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Reiki is a biofield therapy originating in Japan, in which a trained practitioner places their hands on or above the body of a receiver or themselves to generate a relaxation and healing response. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses report Reiki to be effective for improving psychological and physical health symptoms. With respect to adults with cancer, Reiki has been shown to improve participants' relaxation, pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, stress, and wellbeing/quality of life compared to care as usual. However, one study showed no improvement in comfort and wellbeing in those receiving Reiki compared to sham Reiki control, but those receiving Reiki reported improvements above usual care.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
10

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman Cancer Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 - 89.
  • Neoplasm diagnosis (i.e., ICD-10 C00 - D49) confirmed in electronic health record (EHR)/Caisis
  • Receiving care at a UH Connor Whole Health Integrative Oncology Clinic.
  • Reporting at least three ESAS symptoms ≥4/10 at baseline screening including fatigue and ≥2 other symptoms on the 9-item questionnaire.
  • Able to speak and understand English.
  • Has an email address, and access to a computer with internet and/or a mobile device with a functioning data plan

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant cognitive impairment that has not been corrected.
  • Significant visual impairment that has not been corrected.
  • Unable to provide informed consent.
  • Active psychosis.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Metastatic disease.
  • Reiki therapy within 3 months of study enrollment
  • Active immunotherapy, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment, or completed within 3 months before study start. Aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen are exceptions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Reiki therapy
This is a feasibility single arm trial of Reiki for oncology participants.
Other: Reiki
Reiki, originating in Japan, is a biofield therapy where a skilled practitioner places their hands on or above the body of the recipient or themselves to induce relaxation and promote healing.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recruitment rate as measured by the percentage of participants enrolled
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
Calculated by total number of participants enrolled/ total number of participants eligible and 90% is considered successful for the recruitment rate.
8 weeks post enrollment
Retention rate as measured by the number of participants retained until the final survey point
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
Calculated by number of participants retained until the final survey time point / number of participants enrolled. 70% of participant retention until the final survey time point will be considered successful.
8 weeks post enrollment
Attendance rate as measured by number of sessions attended per 6 sessions
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
Total number of sessions attended per 6 sessions. Attendance rate of >/= 70% will be considered successful
8 weeks post enrollment
Protocol adherence rate as measured by the number of participants treated in manner consistent with the intervention
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
Number of participants treated in manner consistent with intervention/total number of participants enrolled
8 weeks post enrollment
Acceptability as measured by the patient mean of participant satisfaction survey
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
As assessed by participants mean for the Participants' satisfaction survey with the Reiki sessions, measured on a scale from 0 (Not at all satisfied) to 10 (Completely satisfied)
8 weeks post enrollment
Data completeness rate
Time Frame: 8 weeks post enrollment
Data completeness of >/= 90% is considered satisfactory
8 weeks post enrollment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient-reported outcomes as measured by PROMIS-29(Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) score
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks
Changes from baseline in Physical Function, Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, Ability to Participate in Social Activities, Pain Interference all measured by T-score, a 11 point numerical rating scale, with higher scores representing more pain calculated from a 5 point Likert scale, with higher scores representing more of the concept being measured.
Baseline, 8 weeks
Patient-reported outcomes as measured by ESAS(Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) scale
Time Frame: Upto 8 weeks
The rate of intensity of common cancer symptoms, including pain, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, and well-being as measured using ESAS scale of 0 to 10 where, 0 is no pain to 10 as worst possible pain.
Upto 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Santosh Rao, MD, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman Cancer Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 7, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 17, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 7, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 3, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 3, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 4, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CASE3Z24

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

When sharing IPD via open access, the lack of restrictions leads to greater risk of re-identifying individuals. Data could be inappropriately merged with other data to facilitate re-identification.The small study population makes this more likely. On the other hand, sharing IPD via controlled access is burdensome. It requires resources that the investigator does not have (setting up the infrastructure and policies, administering and reviewing data requests, preparing data and distributing data). The personnel time for such an endeavor was not budgeted nor does the investigator have the financial resources to include it in the study budget

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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