Cancer SurvivorsEMESISNCT06769165
EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors
A study testing EMDR therapy in people with Cancer Survivors, run by University Medical Center Groningen at 1 site in Netherlands.
Trial summary
To explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer Survivors
- What is being tested?
- EMDR therapy
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNetherlands
- Study dates
- 2 Jul 2025to 1 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 16 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Previously pathologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer
- Previously treated with systemic cancer therapy
- Persistent complaints (more than 2 months) of conditioned nausea and/or vomiting
- Able to understand spoken and written Dutch
- 18 years or older
Who cannot join
- Ongoing psychiatric treatment
- EMDR therapy contraindications (dissociative disorders, personality disorders or severe somatic disorders (e.g. cardiac arrhythmias))
- Complex type 2 trauma
- Known with recent conditions / non-anti-cancer medication which can elicit nausea (e.g. pregnancy or alcohol abuses)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Netherlands1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Medical Center Groningen
Groningen, Provincie Groningen, 9713 GZ
Jacco J de Haan, MD, PhD, +31 50 361 61 61, j.j.de.haan@umcg.nl
Jacco J de Haan, MD, PhD
About this study
Official title: EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors - a Pilot Study
To explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
Read the detailed description
Conditioned nausea and vomiting is a common side effect of anti-cancer treatment, and while strategies like antiemetics exist, their effectiveness is limited. Conditioned nausea and vomiting can possibly be addressed through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR therapy is a therapeutic intervention, proven to be effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and promising in treating a range of other conditions. At the UMCG, EMDR therapy is used on a small scale to treat conditioned nausea with positive results, although more rigorous research is needed to fully establish its efficacy. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
- Conditions
- Cancer Survivors
- Being tested
- EMDR therapy
- Keywords
- EMDR, Nausea, Vomiting
- Medical subject headings
- Nausea, Vomiting
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
EMDR therapyOther
In this study, EMDR therapy will be performed by psychologists of the UMCG who are trained in EMDR therapy and who have experience with patients with somatic diseases. In the EMDR therapy protocol, the patient is guided through eight phases which incorporate dual focus of attention and alternating bilateral visual, auditory, and/or tactile stimulation (see supplement for protocol). The number of sessions varies per patient (1-3 sessions), depending on the desensitization of the conditioned stimuli. The sessions will last 60-90 minutes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| EMDR Therapy | Experimental | EMDR therapy sessions with a trained psychologist. Receives: Other: EMDR therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting after exposure to conditioned stimuli using the nausea profile questionnaire measured using the nausea profile questionnaire (9-point Likert scale, higher scores = worse outcome)
Measured: Before intake EMDR therapy session and three weeks after last EMDR therapy session
Secondary outcomes (1)
Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting
Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting using Functional Living Index- Emesis (FLIE) questionnaire (7-point Likert scale, higher scores = better/worse outcome, depending on the question)
Measured: Before EMDR therapy
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jan 2025
- Study start2 Jul 2025
- Primary completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cancer SurvivorsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Medical Center GroningenThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Medical Center Groningen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jacco J de Haan, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, University Medical Center Groningen
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06769165
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 19946
- Acronym
- EMESIS
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 9 Dec 2024
- Last updated
- 11 Dec 2025
- 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 11 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors - a Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06769165
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EMESIS / 19946
- Conditions
- Cancer Survivors
- Keywords
- EMDR, Nausea, Vomiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Medical Center GroningenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jan 2025 (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.
To explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
Detailed description
Conditioned nausea and vomiting is a common side effect of anti-cancer treatment, and while strategies like antiemetics exist, their effectiveness is limited. Conditioned nausea and vomiting can possibly be addressed through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR therapy is a therapeutic intervention, proven to be effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and promising in treating a range of other conditions. At the UMCG, EMDR therapy is used on a small scale to treat conditioned nausea with positive results, although more rigorous research is needed to fully establish its efficacy. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| EMDR Therapy | Experimental | Other: EMDR therapyEMDR therapy sessions with a trained psychologist. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Previously pathologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer
- Previously treated with systemic cancer therapy
- Persistent complaints (more than 2 months) of conditioned nausea and/or vomiting
- Able to understand spoken and written Dutch
- 18 years or older
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Ongoing psychiatric treatment
- EMDR therapy contraindications (dissociative disorders, personality disorders or severe somatic disorders (e.g. cardiac arrhythmias))
- Complex type 2 trauma
- Known with recent conditions / non-anti-cancer medication which can elicit nausea (e.g. pregnancy or alcohol abuses)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| EMDR therapyIn this study, EMDR therapy will be performed by psychologists of the UMCG who are trained in EMDR therapy and who have experience with patients with somatic diseases. In the EMDR therapy protocol, the patient is guided through eight phases which incorporate dual focus of attention and alternating bilateral visual, auditory, and/or tactile stimulation (see supplement for protocol). The number of sessions varies per patient (1-3 sessions), depending on the desensitization of the conditioned stimuli. The sessions will last 60-90 minutes. | Other | EMDR Therapy |
Primary outcome
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting
Time frame: Before intake EMDR therapy session and three weeks after last EMDR therapy session
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting after exposure to conditioned stimuli using the nausea profile questionnaire measured using the nausea profile questionnaire (9-point Likert scale, higher scores = worse outcome)
1 secondary outcome
Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting
Time frame: Before EMDR therapy
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Dec 2025.
- 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.
Jacco J de Haan, MD, PhD principal investigator
University Medical Center Groningen
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing EMDR therapy in people with Cancer Survivors, run by University Medical Center Groningen at 1 site in Netherlands.
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 5 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Dec 2025. 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 Netherlands. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Jacco J de Haan, MD, PhD (+31503616161, j.j.de.haan@umcg.nl), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting (time frame: Before intake EMDR therapy session and three weeks after last EMDR therapy session). 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 11 Dec 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.