Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Acupuncture needles aim to zap cancer brain fog

NCT ID NCT04007770

Symptom relief Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This phase 2 study tests whether acupuncture can improve memory, focus, and thinking problems (often called 'chemo brain') in people who have had breast, colorectal, prostate, or gynecological cancer. About 48 participants will receive either real acupuncture or sham (fake) acupuncture over 10 weeks. The study measures how much their thinking difficulties change using a standard questionnaire.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
acupuncture
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to help cancer survivors think more clearly and feel less foggy.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase pilot study with only 48 people. The sham acupuncture group may also improve, making it hard to tell if real acupuncture is truly better.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

48 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2019

Expected to finish

Jul 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * English-speaking * Age 18 ≥ years old * Diagnosis (breast, colorectal, prostate or gynecological cancer) * Completed initial cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy) at least one month prior to study enrollment (patients receiving maintenance cancer treatment with hormonal or targeted therapies are permitted) * Must report moderate or greater perceived CD as indicated by a score of "quite a bit" or "very much" on at least one of the two items that specifically assess concentration (item #20) and memory (item #25) on the EORTC QLQ-C30 instrument (version 3.0) * Must indicate that their cognitive functions have worsened since their cancer diagnosis by replying "Yes" to all of the following questions: * Do you think or feel that your memory or mental ability has gotten worse since your cancer diagnosis? * Do you think your mind isn't as sharp now as it was before your cancer diagnosis? * Do you feel like these problems have made it harder to function on your job or take care of things around the home? * Must be willing to adhere to all study-related procedures, including randomization to one of the 2 possible choices: acupuncture or sham acupuncture Exclusion Criteria: * Active disease * Use of acupuncture for cognitive symptom management within the past 3 months * Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson disease, or other organic brain disorder * Score of ≥10 on the Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration (BOMC) screening instrument * Primary psychiatric disorder not in remission * Initiation or change in medication (e.g., hypnotics, sedatives, and/or antidepressants) in the past 8 weeks

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Gynecologic cancer are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm colorectal cancer colorectal neoplasm female reproductive organ cancer prostate cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Gynecologic cancer Stage I breast cancer Stage I colorectal cancer Stage I gynecologic cancer Stage I prostate cancer Stage II breast cancer Stage II colorectal cancer Stage II gynecologic cancer Stage II prostate cancer Stage III breast cancer Stage III colorectal cancer Stage III gynecologic cancer Stage III prostate cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge

    Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen

    Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    New York, New York, 10065, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack

    Commack, New York, 11725, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth

    Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau

    Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.