Mobile App Self-Acupressure Reduces Ovarian Cancer Fatigue, Study Finds
Key Clinical Summary
- In a phase 3 randomized clinical trial (n = 171), 58.5% of women receiving true self-acupressure (TSA) via mobile app achieved clinically normal fatigue levels at 6 weeks vs 17.6% with usual care.
- Fatigue reductions were sustained at 24 weeks for both true and sham self-acupressure.
- No adverse events were reported; only TSA significantly improved quality of life compared with usual care.
Self-acupressure taught through a mobile app significantly reduced cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in women with ovarian cancer, according to findings from a phase 3 randomized clinical trial conducted between 2019 and 2023. The intervention offers a scalable, low-cost strategy aligned with current integrative oncology guidelines recommending acupressure for posttreatment CRF.
Study Findings
Investigators enrolled 171 fatigued ovarian cancer survivors (mean [SD] age, 56 [12] years) with a Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score of 4 or higher. Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to 6 weeks of TSA, sham self-acupressure (SSA), or usual care (UC). Both TSA and SSA were delivered via a mobile app.
At the end of treatment, 58.5% of women in the TSA arm and 51.1% in the SSA arm achieved clinically normal fatigue levels compared with 17.6% in the UC arm. At 6 weeks, BFI change scores were significantly better for TSA vs UC (adjusted mean difference, −1.23; 95% CI, −2.17 to −0.29). The difference between SSA and UC did not reach statistical significance (adjusted mean difference, −0.91; 95% CI, −1.83 to 0.02). TSA and SSA did not differ significantly from each other.
Fatigue benefits persisted through the 24-week follow-up after an 18-week washout period (TSA vs UC mean difference, −1.38; 95% CI, −2.36 to −0.41; SSA vs UC mean difference, −0.97; 95% CI, −1.93 to −0.02).
Neither TSA nor SSA significantly improved sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. However, TSA significantly improved quality of life compared with UC (odds ratio, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.20 to 6.80). No adverse events were reported in either intervention arm.
Clinical Implications
Fatigue remains one of the most burdensome sequelae of ovarian cancer and is closely associated with diminished quality of life and sleep disruption. While self-acupressure is recommended in American Society of Clinical Oncology–Society for Integrative Oncology guidelines for posttreatment CRF, implementation barriers have limited uptake.
This trial demonstrates that self-acupressure can be effectively delivered through a mobile app, eliminating the need for in-person instruction. Adherence was high, and fatigue reductions in the TSA arm were comparable to those reported in prior in-person acupressure studies among cancer survivors.
Importantly, the magnitude of fatigue reduction observed with TSA was similar to effects seen with cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, and mindfulness interventions. However, the mobile app–based acupressure training is free, enhancing accessibility and scalability for ovarian cancer survivors.
The sustained benefit at 24 weeks suggests that short-term instruction may yield durable improvements in CRF, although no measurable benefit was observed for sleep quality.
“In this randomized clinical trial among ovarian cancer survivors, use of self-acupressure, as taught by a mobile app, resulted in a 58.5% decrease in CRF in the TSA arm compared with a 17.6% reduction in the UC arm,” the study authors reported. They also noted that “self-acupressure, taught via a mobile app, offered a safe and low-cost option for managing cancer fatigue,” emphasizing the absence of adverse events and sustained fatigue reduction at 24 weeks.
Conclusion
Mobile app–based self-acupressure significantly reduced cancer-related fatigue in ovarian cancer survivors, with durable effects and no reported harms. The findings support a scalable, guideline-aligned integrative approach to CRF management, warranting further investigation into underlying biologic mechanisms and broader implementation strategies.
Reference
Zick SM, Chen D, Harris RE, et al. Self-acupressure for fatigue in patients surviving ovarian cancer: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(2):e2556357. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.56357
