Ear acupuncture tested as pain relief for breast cancer survivors

NCT ID NCT03096041

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Centre Francois Baclesse Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether auriculotherapy (a form of ear acupuncture) can reduce muscle and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors, a common hormone therapy for breast cancer. 197 postmenopausal women with breast cancer who had pain for at least 3 months were randomly assigned to receive real or placebo ear acupuncture. The main goal was to see if pain scores dropped by at least 2 points.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture device)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost, low-side-effect way to manage pain from breast cancer treatment.
What could go wrong: This is a completed Phase 3 trial, but auriculotherapy's effectiveness for this type of pain is still debated. The placebo effect may be strong, and results may not apply to all patients.

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

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm Musculoskeletal Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

BREAST CANCER MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN

Contacts and locations

Locations

CHU Grenoble

Grenoble, France
Centre François Baclesse

Caen, 14000, France
Centre Oscar Lambret

Lille, France
Groupe Hospitalier Paris St Joseph

Paris, France
Hôpital Cognac-Jay - Forcilles

Férolles-Attilly, France
Hôpital Privé Paul d'Egine

Champigny-sur-Marne, France
IGR

Villejuif, France

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