Ear acupressure could replace standard drugs for chemo nausea

NCT ID NCT07716176

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First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether ear acupressure (stimulating specific points on the ear with bean seeds) combined with a low dose of dexamethasone can prevent nausea and vomiting caused by a common chemotherapy regimen (docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide) in breast cancer patients. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either the acupressure-plus-dexamethasone approach or the standard antiemetic drug regimen. The goal is to see if the acupressure method works as well as standard drugs, with fewer side effects and better quality of life.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
auricular point stimulation (acupressure with bean seeds) plus dexamethasone
What this could lead to
If effective, this approach could offer a drug-sparing, low-cost way to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, improving quality of life during breast cancer treatment.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center trial, and the non-inferiority design means it may not prove superiority. Results may not apply to other chemotherapy regimens or cancer types.

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Study facts

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

Phase

Phase 3

Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.

Participants

About 74 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Dec 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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 to 85 years

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: * Patients must meet the following inclusion criteria for the study:\* Age ≥ 18 years and ≤ 85 years\* After a radical mastectomy, further postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel combined with cyclophosphamide regimen is required.\* ECOG performance status score of 0-2.\* Normal hematological function (platelet count \> 80×10⁹/L; white blood cell count \> 3×10⁹/L; neutrophil count \> 1.5×10⁹/L).\* Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), and transaminase ≤ 5 times the ULN.\* No ascites, no gastrointestinal obstruction, normal coagulation function, and serum albumin ≥ 30g/L.\* Child-Pugh classification of liver function is Grade A.\* Serum creatinine \< ULN, or calculated creatinine clearance rate \> 50ml/min. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study: \* Local inflammation or infection of the auricle\* Bleeding tendency or coagulation disorders\* Severe ascites\* Gastrointestinal obstruction\* Hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy\* Severe uncontrolled systemic complications such as infection or diabetes mellitus\* Clinically severe cardiovascular diseases, including cerebrovascular accident (within 6 months before enrollment), myocardial infarction (within 6 months before enrollment), hypertension that is not well-controlled despite appropriate medication, unstable angina pectoris, congestive heart failure (NYHA Class 2-4), and cardiac arrhythmias requiring drug treatment\* A history of or physical examination findings indicating central nervous system diseases (e.g., primary brain tumor, epilepsy uncontrolled by standard treatment, any history of brain metastasis or stroke)\* Hypersensitivity to any drugs used in the study\* Pregnant or lactating women\* Presence of any other diseases, functional impairment caused by metastatic lesions, or suspicious disorders identified during physical examination, which suggest contraindications to the study drugs or place the patient at high risk of treatment-related complications\* Inability or unwillingness to comply with the study protocol.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

    RECRUITING

    Hangzhou, China

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