CancerCANNCT06235671
Effects of Chiropractic on Chronic Cancer-related Fatigue
A study testing Chiropractic care in people with Cancer and Fatigue, run by Life University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The primary aims of the proposed trial are centered around examining the feasibility of conducting a prospective, chiropractic intervention study on a population of cancer survivors living in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- What is being tested?
- Chiropractic care
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2024to 16 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Able to understand and provide written informed consent in English
- 18-65 years of age
- Informed by primary health care provider that there is no evidence of active disease (this is sometimes referred to as "complete remission" or "cured")
- Minimum of 3 months since completion of primary curative-intent cancer therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or immunotherapy (long-term hormonal therapy permitted)
- Onset of fatigue occurred at some point during illness and/or treatment
- FACIT-Fatigue scale score in the moderate-to-severe range (i.e., at or above the 60th percentile)
- If on any prescription medication (including hormonal therapy), on a stable dose for a minimum of 12 weeks with no plans to change medications or doses during the study
Who cannot join
- Taking any short-acting benzodiazepine including midazolam \& triazolam
- Known disorder resulting in syncope/fainting during postural changes (e.g., postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, orthostatic hypotension)
- Pacemaker or known heart condition that influences the electrical or mechanical function of the heart (e.g., severe heart valve disease)
- Diagnosed with an externalizing (e.g., substance use, antisocial disorder) or thought (e.g., schizophrenia, paranoid personality, bipolar) disorder that is uncontrolled or untreated
- Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, or cervical spine instability
- Currently pregnant
- Current litigation related to a physical, health-related injury
- Chronic pain rated at least 3/10 on a visual analog scale (VAS)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Dr. Sid E. Williams Center for Chiropractic Research
Atlanta, Georgia, 30308
About this study
Official title: The Effects of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care in Adult Cancer Survivors With Chronic Cancer-related Fatigue: a Feasibility Trial
The primary aims of the proposed trial are centered around examining the feasibility of conducting a prospective, chiropractic intervention study on a population of cancer survivors living in and around Atlanta, Georgia. This includes evaluating various implementation outcomes including recruitment, adherence, tolerability, retention, acceptability, and data fidelity. The results of this trial will inform the design of a future randomized controlled trial (RCT) that has an increased focus on the efficacy/effectiveness of chiropractic care on chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF) and other cancer-related sequelae in cancer survivors.
Read the detailed description
Cancer remission is often marked by the cessation of curative-intent treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy), however, troublesome signs and symptoms (e.g., fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment, dysautonomia) related to the cancer and its treatments commonly persist for prolonged periods (i.e., months to years). Of these, chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF) is one of the most frequently reported and debilitating symptoms. CCRF may be characterized as tiredness or exhaustion persisting for 3 or more months following the completion of the primary curative-intent cancer therapies which is independent on one's quantity or quality of rest and causes impairments in daily functioning and quality of life. Notably, although the mechanisms underlying CCRF are still unclear, there is some evidence that it may be related to autonomic dysregulation.
Irrespective of the cause(s), lack of identification of and treatment for CCRF and other chronic cancer-related sequelae is commonplace. Further, empirical data supporting the efficacy of interventions to remediate these issues are relatively sparse and urgently needed as the global population of cancer survivors continues to increase. Of note, although there is no universally accepted definition of 'cancer survivor', the investigators define it here as someone who has completed their primary curative-intent therapies and is cancer-free (i.e., has no evidence of active disease). This definition is in line with that of the European Organisation of Research \& Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Survivorship Task Force and the EORTC Quality of Life Group.
Interestingly, a recent study suggested that a single chiropractic adjustment may mitigate lower extremity muscular fatigue during isometric exercise in young, healthy males. However, to the investigators' knowledge, the impact of chiropractic care on CCRF and other health-related challenges that burden cancer survivors has yet to be investigated.
- Being tested
- Chiropractic care
- Keywords
- cancer survivors, upper cervical chiropractic, manipulation, cancer-related fatigue, autonomic nervous system
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms, Fatigue
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Chiropractic careProcedure or surgery
6 weeks of chiropractic care
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Chiropractic intervention | Experimental | Upper cervical chiropractic care Receives: Procedure: Chiropractic care |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Participant recruitment
Average number of participants recruited/enrolled per month
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Participant scheduling
Average time lag between first lab assessment \& first chiropractic visit
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Participant compliance
Proportion of participants violating 1 or more pre-assessment lifestyle restrictions \& unable/unwilling to be rescheduled
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Participant adherence
Proportion of participants not attending at least 80% of their chiropractic sessions
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Participant tolerability
Proportion of participants unable/unwilling to complete a given assessment
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Participant retention
Proportion of participants completing the trial
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Assessment acceptability
Most common patient-related acceptability score on a Likert scale of 1-5 (with 5 being strongly agree) for each assessment process/procedure
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Data fidelity
Proportion of acquisitions from a given assessment that are unsuitable for analysis
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Implementation acceptability
Most common clinician-rated acceptability score on a Likert scale of 1-5 (with 5 being strongly agree) for each trial process/procedure
Measured: 6-month data collection period
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Feb 2024
- Study start1 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion16 May 2025 (estimated)
Why it stopped: Budget constraints
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Single-arm feasibility trial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Life University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06235671
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- I-0029
- Acronym
- CAN
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care in Adult Cancer Survivors With Chronic Cancer-related Fatigue: a Feasibility Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06235671
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CAN / I-0029
- Keywords
- cancer survivors, upper cervical chiropractic, manipulation, cancer-related fatigue, autonomic nervous system
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: Budget constraints
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Life UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 16 May 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The primary aims of the proposed trial are centered around examining the feasibility of conducting a prospective, chiropractic intervention study on a population of cancer survivors living in and around Atlanta, Georgia. This includes evaluating various implementation outcomes including recruitment, adherence, tolerability, retention, acceptability, and data fidelity. The results of this trial will inform the design of a future randomized controlled trial (RCT) that has an increased focus on the efficacy/effectiveness of chiropractic care on chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF) and other cancer-related sequelae in cancer survivors.
Detailed description
Cancer remission is often marked by the cessation of curative-intent treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy), however, troublesome signs and symptoms (e.g., fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment, dysautonomia) related to the cancer and its treatments commonly persist for prolonged periods (i.e., months to years). Of these, chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF) is one of the most frequently reported and debilitating symptoms. CCRF may be characterized as tiredness or exhaustion persisting for 3 or more months following the completion of the primary curative-intent cancer therapies which is independent on one's quantity or quality of rest and causes impairments in daily functioning and quality of life. Notably, although the mechanisms underlying CCRF are still unclear, there is some evidence that it may be related to autonomic dysregulation.
Irrespective of the cause(s), lack of identification of and treatment for CCRF and other chronic cancer-related sequelae is commonplace. Further, empirical data supporting the efficacy of interventions to remediate these issues are relatively sparse and urgently needed as the global population of cancer survivors continues to increase. Of note, although there is no universally accepted definition of 'cancer survivor', the investigators define it here as someone who has completed their primary curative-intent therapies and is cancer-free (i.e., has no evidence of active disease). This definition is in line with that of the European Organisation of Research \& Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Survivorship Task Force and the EORTC Quality of Life Group.
Interestingly, a recent study suggested that a single chiropractic adjustment may mitigate lower extremity muscular fatigue during isometric exercise in young, healthy males. However, to the investigators' knowledge, the impact of chiropractic care on CCRF and other health-related challenges that burden cancer survivors has yet to be investigated.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Single-arm feasibility trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Chiropractic intervention | Experimental | Procedure: Chiropractic careUpper cervical chiropractic care |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Able to understand and provide written informed consent in English
- 18-65 years of age
- Informed by primary health care provider that there is no evidence of active disease (this is sometimes referred to as "complete remission" or "cured")
- Minimum of 3 months since completion of primary curative-intent cancer therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or immunotherapy (long-term hormonal therapy permitted)
- Onset of fatigue occurred at some point during illness and/or treatment
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Taking any short-acting benzodiazepine including midazolam \& triazolam
- Known disorder resulting in syncope/fainting during postural changes (e.g., postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, orthostatic hypotension)
- Pacemaker or known heart condition that influences the electrical or mechanical function of the heart (e.g., severe heart valve disease)
- Diagnosed with an externalizing (e.g., substance use, antisocial disorder) or thought (e.g., schizophrenia, paranoid personality, bipolar) disorder that is uncontrolled or untreated
- Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, or cervical spine instability
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Chiropractic care6 weeks of chiropractic care | Procedure or surgery | Chiropractic intervention |
Primary outcome
Participant recruitment
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Average number of participants recruited/enrolled per month
Participant scheduling
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Average time lag between first lab assessment \& first chiropractic visit
Participant compliance
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Proportion of participants violating 1 or more pre-assessment lifestyle restrictions \& unable/unwilling to be rescheduled
Participant adherence
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Proportion of participants not attending at least 80% of their chiropractic sessions
Participant tolerability
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Proportion of participants unable/unwilling to complete a given assessment
Participant retention
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Proportion of participants completing the trial
Assessment acceptability
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Most common patient-related acceptability score on a Likert scale of 1-5 (with 5 being strongly agree) for each assessment process/procedure
Data fidelity
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Proportion of acquisitions from a given assessment that are unsuitable for analysis
Implementation acceptability
Time frame: 6-month data collection period
Most common clinician-rated acceptability score on a Likert scale of 1-5 (with 5 being strongly agree) for each trial process/procedure
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Chiropractic care in people with Cancer and Fatigue, run by Life University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Participant recruitment (time frame: 6-month data collection period). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Aug 2026.