Remotely Delivered Tai Chi to Help Older GI Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy-Related Nerve Pain

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

If you or a loved one are 65 or older and dealing with numbness, tingling, or pain from chemotherapy for GI cancer, this project will adapt a gentle Tai Chi routine you can do at home. Researchers will gather feedback from older patients to tailor the program for safety, usability, and comfort, then test a practical version in a small, multi-site study. The project follows a staged plan: first refine the intervention with patient input, then conduct a proof-of-concept trial to see if the approach helps with neuropathy and risk of falls. Results will inform whether a remote Tai Chi option could be a feasible addition to standard care for CIPN in older adults.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Thomas Jefferson University
  Philadelphia, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Wen, Kuang-Yi — Thomas Jefferson University
• Study coordinator: Wen, Kuang-Yi

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Non-invasive, microscopic biomarkers to detect CIPN in chemotherapy patients

  This grant aims to develop a non-invasive imaging method to measure nerve changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy to better understand and monitor chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

  NIH research University of Arizona · Tucson, United States · NIH-11473607

• Longitudinal study of how body-sense relates to chemotherapy nerve damage

  This study follows people with breast or gastrointestinal cancer and healthy controls to see if brain processing of body sensations contributes to chemotherapy-induced nerve damage.

  NIH research University of Maryland Baltimore · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11398026

• A new screen for chemotherapy-related nerve problems in young children

  A clinician-scientist at Yale is developing a child-friendly survey to quickly screen for nerve-related side effects from cancer treatment in kids from birth to age 5.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11381211

• How the immune system’s CD4+ T cells in women might prevent chemotherapy-related nerve pain

  A study in mice explores whether female immune cells in nerve tissue can lessen pain from chemotherapy, with potential implications for preventing CIPN in women.

  NIH research University of New England · Biddeford, United States · NIH-11365153

• Axonal transport and chemotherapy-related nerve pain

  This grant studies why certain cancer patients develop painful nerve damage from chemotherapy and explores ways to prevent or treat it.

  NIH research Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · Boston, United States · NIH-11350880

• Remote monitoring and nurse follow-up to manage chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

  A program uses symptom reporting tools with nurse follow-up to reduce and better manage chemotherapy-induced neuropathy for cancer survivors, during and after treatment.

  NIH research University of Vermont & St Agric College · Burlington, United States · NIH-11328854

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.