EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Cancer Survivors

• Registration Number: NCT06769165
• Lead Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen

Brief Summary

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 Timeline

• Status Verified: 2024-12
• Study First Submitted: 2024-12-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-01-08
• Study First Posted: 2025-03-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-28
• Study Start: 2025-04
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-02
• Primary Completion: 2026-08-01
• Study Completion: 2026-08-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• 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

Exclusion Criteria

• 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)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting	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)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting	Before EMDR therapy	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)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Medical Center Groningen; 🇳🇱 Groningen, Netherlands