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This phase three randomised controlled trial investigated whether self-acupressure — a technique in which individuals apply pressure to specific acupoints themselves — could help breast cancer survivors manage a cluster of three co-occurring symptoms: fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression. Ninety-three participants were divided equally across three groups: true self-acupressure, sham self-acupressure, and usual care. Outcomes were measured at the start of the study, immediately after the seven-week intervention period, and again at week nineteen during follow-up.
Participants in the true self-acupressure group showed significantly greater improvements across the combined symptom cluster compared with both the sham and usual care groups at both post-intervention time points. At the individual symptom level, sleep quality and depression scores were significantly better in the true self-acupressure group than in both comparison groups. Fatigue scores were significantly lower compared with the usual care group at both time points, though the difference from the sham group only became statistically significant at the later follow-up assessment. Quality of life improvements also favoured the true self-acupressure group over usual care at both time points, with a statistically significant advantage over the sham group emerging by the follow-up stage. No adverse events were recorded, and the intervention appeared low-cost to deliver, though formal cost-effectiveness analysis was not conducted.
Conclusion: Self-acupressure appears to be a safe and effective approach for managing the fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors, though its cost-effectiveness requires further investigation.
Source: Li M, Kwok WH, Wang T and colleagues. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42749858) · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11155-2
