ClinicalTrials.gg
WithdrawnNCT06235671CANUpdated Aug 27, 2026

Effects of Chiropractic on Chronic Cancer-related Fatigue

An interventional study of Chiropractic care in Cancer and Fatigue, sponsored by Life University. Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-27.

Sponsored by Life University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Budget constraints
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study 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. 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.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cancer
  • Fatigue

Keywords

  • cancer survivors
  • upper cervical chiropractic
  • manipulation
  • cancer-related fatigue
  • autonomic nervous system
03

In context

Neoplasms

10,818 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms; 2,324 are open to participants now.

Browse Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Life University is the lead sponsor of 29 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Able to understand and provide written 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

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Chiropractic intervention

    Upper cervical chiropractic care

    Procedure: Chiropractic care

Interventions

  • ProcedureChiropractic care

    6 weeks of chiropractic care

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Participant recruitment

    Average number of participants recruited/enrolled per month

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  2. Participant scheduling

    Average time lag between first lab assessment \& first chiropractic visit

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  3. Participant compliance

    Proportion of participants violating 1 or more pre-assessment lifestyle restrictions \& unable/unwilling to be rescheduled

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  4. Participant adherence

    Proportion of participants not attending at least 80% of their chiropractic sessions

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  5. Participant tolerability

    Proportion of participants unable/unwilling to complete a given assessment

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  6. Participant retention

    Proportion of participants completing the trial

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  7. 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

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  8. Data fidelity

    Proportion of acquisitions from a given assessment that are unsuitable for analysis

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

  9. 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

    Time frame: 6-month data collection period

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Dr. Sid E. Williams Center for Chiropractic Research
    Atlanta, Georgia 30308, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Start is estimated for Oct 2024; primary completion for Apr 2025, 6 months later.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 23, 2024
First posted
Feb 1, 2024
StartEst.
Oct 1, 2024
Primary completionEst.
Apr 1, 2025
CompletionEst.
May 16, 2025
Last update
Aug 27, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 27, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06235671
Lead sponsor
Life University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 1, 2024
Start date
Oct 1, 2024 (estimated)
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
May 16, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 27, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion