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Short-term Effects of Osteopathic Manipulations on Heart Rate Variability in Lung Cancer Patients - A Randomized Pilot Study

Short-term Effects of Osteopathic Manipulations on Heart Rate Variability in Lung Cancer Patients - A Randomized Pilot Study (OSTEOCAN2)

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06822348
Enrollment
80
Registered
2025-02-12
Start date
2026-02-01
Completion date
2027-04-01
Last updated
2026-01-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lung Cancer

Keywords

osteopathy, heart rate variability, quality of life

Brief summary

In France, the number of new cancer cases each year is rising steadily, while the number of deaths, although falling, is still around 157,000, including 23,000 from lung cancer alone. According to the French National Cancer Institute, there are three main methods of treating cancer: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. In recent years, new therapies have been developed, notably with the advent of immunotherapy and targeted therapies. On the other hand, although non-medical interventions (NMIs) such as osteopathy are recognized as improving the quality of life of cancer patients, there has been little research into their contribution when combined with conventional therapies. Studies have shown a link between the vagus nerve and cancer. Through its actions, the vagus nerve regulates homeostasis and immunity at local and regional levels, reducing systemic inflammation but maintaining local inflammation, which has an anti-tumour effect. At the same time, vagus nerve stimulation increases heart rate variability, which, when increased, is associated with improved vital prognosis in cancer patients. This stimulation can be achieved using a number of common, non-invasive osteopathic techniques. To date, no study has shown an objective and definitive link between vagus nerve stimulation and improved vital prognosis. However, several studies show that vagus nerve activity may be related to prognosis in cancer patients through regulation of HRV and possibly inflammation. Osteopathic manipulation to stimulate the vagus nerve could therefore have an effect on HRV. Improved HRV could therefore indirectly improve the prognosis of cancer patients. The first step is to test this clinical hypothesis: does osteopathic manipulation stimulate the vagus nerve in cancer patients? This will be done by measuring heart rate variability using rMSSD, the metric most representative of vagal tone. This randomized single-center pilot study will investigate the short-term effect of vagus nerve stimulation using osteopathic techniques on heart rate variability in lung cancer patients. Our hypothesis is that stimulation of the vagus nerve by gentle, non-invasive osteopathic manipulation would increase vagal tone and therefore improve HRV and quality of life in the short term, but also reduce anxiety experienced at the time of chemotherapy.

Interventions

OTHERHeart rate variability assessment

rMSSD (root mean square of successive R-R intervals), SDNN (standard deviation of all NN intervals), HF (high frequencies), LF (low frequencies), LF/HF ratio, Heart rate deceleration capacity, Heart rate acceleration capacity, Heart rate (bpm).

Osteopathic manipulation

BEHAVIORALQuality of life assessment

EORTC FA-12 questionnaire

BEHAVIORALAnxiety assessment

STAI-Y-A and STAI-Y-B questionnaire assessment

Sponsors

Institut de Formation en Ostéopathie du Grand Avignon - IFO-GA
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Centre Hospitalier Henri Duffaut - Avignon
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

80 patients will be included, these patients will be randomized into two groups.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient with stage 4 lung cancer. * WHO stage ≤ to 2. * Dyspnea grade ≤ 2 on the mMRC scale (modified Medical Research Council) * Patient undergoing chemotherapy for the first time * Patient with less than 5% artifact rate during rMSSD measurement. * Patient with SDNN less than 70 ms. * Voluntary patient who has signed the informed consent form. * No contraindications to osteopathic manipulation.

Exclusion criteria

* Patient with unilateral or bilateral vagotomy. * Patient with cardiac arrhythmia. * Patient undergoing treatment influencing cardiac rhythm (anti-arrhythmic drugs, beta-blockers, etc.) * Patient with relapsed cancer already treated with chemotherapy.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Assessment of heart rate variability.At baseline and before the first chemotherapy sessionrMSSD (root mean square of successive R-R intervals).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Assessment of heart rate variability.At baseline and before the first chemotherapy sessionSDNN (standard deviation of all NN intervals, measured in milliseconds).
Osteopathic testing of somatic dysfunctions.Before the first chemotherapy sessionNumber of osteopathic vagus nerve dysfunctions.
Assessment of quality of life.At baseline and before the second chemotherapy sessionEORTC QLQ-FA12 questionnaire (minimum = 0, maximum = 100, higher score means better outcome).
Anxiety assessmentAt baselineState-Trait Anxiety Inventory : STAI-Y-B questionnaire (minimum = 20, maximum = 80, higher score means higher level of anxiety)

Countries

France

Contacts

Primary ContactMarilyne Grinand, PhD
grinand.marilyne@ch-avignon.fr(+33)432759392

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026