Electroacupuncture vs. Auricular Acupressure vs. Waitlist Control for Breast Cancer Endocrine Therapy-Related Joint Pain

The purpose of this pragmatic, multicenter, randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture and auricular acupressure for improving joint pain related to endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients. A total of 200 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups: the Electroacupuncture Group (n=80), the Auricular Acupressure Group (n=80), or the Waitlist Control Group (n=40), using a central stratified block randomization method. The primary objective is to compare changes in Worst Pain Item score among the three groups from baseline to the end of the treatment period, as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF). Secondary objectives include assessing pain interference, overall health status through the PROMIS scale, and quality of life specifically related to endocrine therapy using the FACT-ES. Additionally, the study will evaluate analgesic medication use (QAQ), patient expectations (Acupuncture Expectancy Scale), treatment adherence, and the occurrence of adverse events. By comparing these interventions, this study aims to generate high-quality evidence for the management of treatment-related arthralgia in breast cancer survivors.

NCT Number	NCT07490938
Lead Sponsor	First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Conditions	Breast Cancer Survivors, Endocrine Therapy-Induced Joint Pain
Enrollment	200 participants
Start Date	2026-04
Primary Completion	2027-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-06