Stress Ball Use During Chemotherapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients

February 8, 2026 updated by: EMRE ERKAL, Artvin Coruh University

The Effect of Stress Ball on Anxiety, Fear and Vital Signs in Patients With Gastrointestinal System Cancer

This study will investigate whether using a stress ball during chemotherapy can reduce anxiety, fear, and changes in vital signs in patients with gastrointestinal system cancers.

Patients receiving chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers often experience anxiety and fear, which may affect their heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. A stress ball is a simple, low-cost, and safe method that may help patients relax during treatment.

In this randomized controlled study, 60 patients receiving chemotherapy will be assigned to either a stress ball group or a routine care group. Patients in the stress ball group will squeeze a stress ball for 15 minutes during their chemotherapy session. Anxiety, fear levels, and vital signs will be measured before and after chemotherapy in both groups.

The results of this study may help determine whether stress ball use is an effective non-drug method to improve emotional well-being and physiological stability in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a randomized controlled experimental trial designed to evaluate the effects of stress ball use during chemotherapy on anxiety, fear, and vital signs in patients with gastrointestinal system cancers.

Participants will be adult patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal system cancers who are receiving chemotherapy at the Artvin State Hospital Chemotherapy Unit. Eligible patients who provide informed consent will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either an experimental group (stress ball intervention) or a control group (routine care).

Patients in the experimental group will be instructed to squeeze a medium-firm stress ball for 15 minutes starting at the beginning of their chemotherapy session. They will be guided to inhale while squeezing the ball and exhale while releasing it, focusing their attention on the activity. Patients in the control group will receive routine chemotherapy care without any additional intervention.

Anxiety and fear levels will be assessed before and after chemotherapy using validated measurement tools. Vital signs including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and oxygen saturation will also be recorded before and after the chemotherapy session. Outcomes will be compared between and within groups to determine the effectiveness of the stress ball intervention.

This study aims to provide evidence on whether a simple non-pharmacological method can improve psychological well-being and physiological stability during chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal system cancers.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

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 Contact

Study Locations

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:

  • Being aged 18 years or older
  • Having a diagnosis of gastrointestinal system cancer and receiving chemotherapy
  • Having no communication problems
  • Having no physical disability that would prevent squeezing a stress ball
  • Willingness to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

-

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Stress Ball Intervention
Participants in this arm will receive routine chemotherapy care and will additionally perform stress ball squeezing for 15 minutes starting at the beginning of the chemotherapy session. Patients will be instructed to inhale while squeezing the ball and exhale while releasing it, focusing attention on the activity.
Behavioral: Stress Ball
The intervention consists of guided stress ball squeezing during chemotherapy. A round, medium-firm, compressible stress ball approximately 5-6 cm in diameter will be provided to participants. Starting at the beginning of the chemotherapy session, participants will squeeze the stress ball continuously for 15 minutes. They will be instructed to inhale while squeezing the ball, exhale while releasing their grip, and focus their attention on the squeezing activity. Disposable gloves will be used to maintain hygiene during the intervention. No additional behavioral or pharmacological interventions will be applied.
No Intervention: Routine Care Control
Participants in this arm will receive routine chemotherapy care during their chemotherapy session and will not perform any stress ball or additional relaxation intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
State Anxiety (STAI-State) score
Time Frame: Baseline (before chemotherapy session) and immediately after chemotherapy session
Baseline (before chemotherapy session) and immediately after chemotherapy session

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fear Severity (VAS-Fear)
Time Frame: Baseline (before chemotherapy session) and immediately after chemotherapy session
Fear severity will be measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS-Fear). The change in scores before and after chemotherapy will be evaluated to assess the effect of the intervention on fear.
Baseline (before chemotherapy session) and immediately after chemotherapy session
Systolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Systolic blood pressure measured using an automatic sphygmomanometer.
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Diastolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Diastolic blood pressure measured using an automatic sphygmomanometer.
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Heart Rate (Pulse)
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Heart rate measured in beats per minute using an pulse oximeter
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Respiratory Rate
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session
Respiratory rate measured by counting chest movements for one minute.
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session
Body Temperature
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Body temperature measured using a tympanic thermometer.
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂)
Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.
Baseline (immediately before chemotherapy session) and immediately after completion of the chemotherapy session.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Artvin Coruh University

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)

February 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 3, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 3, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 8, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GIS-STRESSBALL-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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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