MedTrace Logo

Feasibility and Efficacy of the EMDR Toolbox Method in Cancer Patients.

NCT07481890 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 46

Last updated 2026-04-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The incidence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is significantly elevated in patients affected by organic diseases (Riedl, 2020). Adverse childhood experiences include life events such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; exposure to domestic violence; abandonment; and physical and emotional neglect occurring during early stages of life. One of the primary and most extensively studied mechanisms through which ACEs appear to influence the development of organic diseases across the lifespan is dysregulation of cortisol levels, which acts as a key mediator of increased macro- and microcellular inflammatory processes.

In rhis context, it is important to integrate the standard triage and psychological distress screening interventions routinely provided by psychologists working in clinical liaison psychology services with specialized, evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments delivered by appropriately trained professionals. Among the range of evidence-based psychotherapies currently available, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy-hereafter referred to as EMDR-was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013 and reaffirmed in 2024 as one of the treatments of choice for trauma and the psychophysiological consequences of adverse events.

Since 2015, Manuela Spadoni has systematized the empirical evidence, theoretical concepts, the parts model, and the operational tools of the additional EMDR procedures introduced by Jim Knipe beginning in 2001 into a structured psychotherapeutic approach known as the EMDR Toolbox method. This method appears to be particularly well suited for treating individuals whose clinical history is characterized by multiple adverse experiences.

The present randomized trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the EMDR Toolbox Method (ETM) in patients diagnosed with oncological disease.

Conditions

  • Cancer
  • Psychological Distress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

STANDARD EMDR

Standard Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy delivered according to established clinical guidelines (Shapiro, 2002).

BEHAVIORAL

EMDR TOOLBOX METHOD

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) delivered using the EMDR Toolbox Method (Knipe, 2018; Spadoni, 2026).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Lega Cancro Ticino

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Paola Arnaboldi · Lega Cancro Ticino

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-03-27
Primary Completion
2027-11-30
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07481890 on ClinicalTrials.gov