One debilitating consequence of ovarian cancer is fatigue, which is linked to poor sleep and a lower standard of living. Clinical recommendations encourage self-acupressure, although there are many obstacles to its use. These obstacles could be overcome by using a mobile app. Thus, this study was carried out to find out if women with ovarian cancer benefit from 6 weeks of true self-acupressure (TSA), which is taught through a mobile app, in terms of cancer fatigue, sleep, and quality of life when compared to sham self-acupressure (SSA) and usual care (UC).
From October 2019 to December 2023, this study was carried out. The participants were recruited via tumor registries and social media and included survivors of ovarian cancer who were exhausted (defined as having a Brief Fatigue Inventory [BFI] score ≥4). Randomization (1:1:1) to 6 weeks of UC, TSA, or SSA instruction delivered using a mobile app.
The change in the BFI from baseline to week 6 was the main result. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index sleep disturbance and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian quality of life, which were given at baseline and at weeks 6, 12, and 24, as well as the BFI score at week 24, were secondary analyses.
Both SSA and TSA significantly exceeded UC in relieving tiredness in this randomized study of 160 women (mean age 56). When compared to just 17.6% in the UC arm, 58.5% of the TSA group and 51.1% of the SSA group had normal tiredness levels by the conclusion of therapy.
Both acupressure techniques continued to provide long-term effects during 24 weeks, however TSA shown a greater reduction in tiredness after 6 weeks. Also, quality of life was only considerably improved by TSA ($OR = 2.85$). Neither intervention affected the quality of sleep or had unfavorable outcomes, indicating that self-acupressure is a long-lasting, safe method of managing tiredness.
Overall, when compared to UC, TSA and SSA dramatically decreased tiredness in this randomized clinical study. These improvements were both clinically significant and long-lasting. A mobile app that taught self-acupressure provided a low-cost and safe way to manage cancer tiredness.
Reference:
Zick, S. M., Chen, D., Harris, R. E., Kruger, G., Runyon, A., Sen, A., Snyder, S., & Pearce, C. L. (2026). Self-acupressure for fatigue in patients surviving ovarian cancer: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 9(2), e2556357. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.56357
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