Feasibility of Auricular Acupressure for Appetite and Weight in Patients With Stage II-IV Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer

May 13, 2026 updated by: University of Washington

A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of an Acupressure Intervention on Appetite and Weight in Patients With Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupressure to the ear (auricular) to address appetite and weight in patients with stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer. Cancer anorexia, the abnormal loss of appetite, directly leads to cancer-associated weight loss (cachexia) through malnourishment, reduced caloric intake, treatment side-effects, and other modifiable risk factors. Cachexia prolongs length of hospital stay for patients, negatively impacts treatment tolerance and adherence, and reduces overall patient quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a form of micro-acupuncture that exerts its effect by stimulating the central nervous system using adhesive taped pellets applied to specific locations on the external ear. The use of these pellets to deliver auricular acupressure has been shown to improve pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and quality of life in both cancer and non-cancer settings. Auricular acupressure is a safe, inexpensive, and non-invasive approach to addressing cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects and may be effective at improving appetite and weight loss in stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer patients.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

ARM II: Patients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.

After completion of study treatment, patients in Arm II are followed up at 8 weeks after active treatment ends.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

3

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98109
        • Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18-65 years of age
  • Stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer
  • Appetite score on visual analog scale ≤ 70/100
  • At least 60 days of planned systemic treatment, whether already initiated or scheduled to be initiated
  • Access to phone and electronic device for study contacts and questionnaires
  • Willing and able to attend 4 in-person auricular acupressure treatments at the Fred Hutch South Lake Union Clinic
  • Willing and able to perform 4 at-home self-applied treatments of auricular acupressure
  • Participants must not have received acupressure or acupuncture for low appetite within last 30 days
  • Participants must not be actively using corticosteroids, mirtazapine (Remeron), olanzapine (Zyprexa), or Marinol for appetite stimulation at baseline
  • Participants must be able to intake food orally and not require sole or supplemental intravenous nutrition at baseline
  • Participants must not have a history of physiological eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa) in the last 3 years
  • Participants must not have a current known or diagnosed immunodeficiency
  • Participants must have an intact auricular pinna
  • Able to understand and willing to sign written informed consent in English

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm I (acupressure therapy)
Patients undergo auricular acupressure in addition to their usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other Names:
  • Quality of Life Assessment
Other: Best Practice
Receive usual care
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
Undergo collection of blood samples
Other Names:
  • Biological Sample Collection
  • Biospecimen Collected
  • Specimen Collection
Procedure: Acupressure Therapy
Undergo auricular acupressure
Other Names:
  • Acupressure
  • Ischemic Compression
Active Comparator: Arm II (usual care)
Patients receive usual care on study. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples on study.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other Names:
  • Quality of Life Assessment
Other: Best Practice
Receive usual care
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
Undergo collection of blood samples
Other Names:
  • Biological Sample Collection
  • Biospecimen Collected
  • Specimen Collection

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Accrual (feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 15 months
Accrual will be measured by the average rate of participants-per-month enrolled into both groups with the goal of 5 patients/month over a 15-month period.
Up to 15 months
Retention (feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 8 weeks
Retention will be measured by the number of participants who remain in the trial and provide data at the closeout visit.
Up to 8 weeks
Intervention adherence (feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 8 weeks
Adherence will be measured in the intervention group by the number of applied auricular acupressure treatments, with the total possible being 8.
Up to 8 weeks
Intervention fidelity (feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 8 weeks
Fidelity will be assessed by study team adherence to symptom query and appropriate ear seed point modifications to the standard protocol and accuracy of seed placement according to photographic analysis.
Up to 8 weeks
Acceptability (feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 16 weeks
Acceptability will be assessed using a random convenience sample of participants and providers through semi-structured interviews.
Up to 16 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in appetite
Time Frame: Baseline to week 4
As measured by the Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale. Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 4.
Baseline to week 4
Change in appetite
Time Frame: Baseline to week 8
As measured by the Functional Assessment for Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment Subscale. Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 8.
Baseline to week 8
Change in body weight (kg)
Time Frame: Baseline to week 4
Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 4.
Baseline to week 4
Change in body weight (kg)
Time Frame: Baseline to week 8
Analyses will assess change in each outcome as a change from baseline to week 8.
Baseline to week 8

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Washington

Collaborators

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Blake Langley, Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

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)

July 22, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 9, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

July 9, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 12, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

June 20, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 13, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • RG1123492 (Other Identifier: Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium)
  • NCI-2023-03942 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))
  • 3KL2TR002317 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in published articles after de-identification may be made available upon request (text, tables, figures, and appendices).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 6 months and ending 36 months after publication of results or study protocol, as requested.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Researchers and investigators who: 1) provide a methodologically sound proposal to expand on aims in the original, approved proposal; and/or 2) aim to conduct individual, participant-level meta-analyses. Proposals should be directed to blangley@fredhutch.org. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

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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