Completed

Healing Touch in Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients: Immune Effects and Mechanisms

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What is being tested

Healing Touch Therapy

+ Relaxation Therapy

+ Standard Care

Behavioral
Who is being recruted

Urogenital Diseases+10

+ Genital Diseases

+ Uterine Cervical Diseases

Over 18 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Placebo-ControlledPhase 2
Interventional
Study Start: September 2002
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Last updated: January 18, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: September 1, 2002

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

The side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment are often severe and can have devastating effects on the mental and physical well-being of cancer patients. This study will determine whether healing touch and relaxation therapy are effective in minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment in cervical cancer patients. Participants in this study will receive weekly chemotherapy and daily radiation treatments for 6 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either standard care (SC), SC plus relaxation therapy, or SC plus healing touch therapy. The relaxation therapy consists of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. The healing touch therapy involves an energy-based modality in which health care practitioners stimulate the energy fields surrounding the patient. A physician-completed assessment and measures of immune function will be used to assess the well-being and overall quality of life of participants.

Official TitleHealing Touch in Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients: Immune Effects and Mechanisms 
Principal SponsorNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Last updated: January 18, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

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

60 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Female

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 18 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

Urogenital DiseasesGenital DiseasesUterine Cervical DiseasesUterine Cervical NeoplasmsFemale Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy ComplicationsGenital Diseases, FemaleGenital Neoplasms, FemaleNeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteUrogenital NeoplasmsUterine DiseasesUterine NeoplasmsFemale Urogenital Diseases

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Stage Ib1-IVa cervical cancer * Treatment with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Exclusion Criteria: * Immunosuppressive disorders * Use of immunosuppressive medications * Transplant recipient * Metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer * History of any other type of cancer

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

3 intervention groups are designated in this study

33.333% chance of being blinded to the placebo group

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Healing Touch Therapy

Group II

Active Comparator
Relaxation Therapy

Group III

Placebo
Standard Care

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics

Iowa City, United StatesSee the location
CompletedOne Study Center