Online pain coping skills may ease joint pain in breast cancer survivors
NCT ID NCT05703178
First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether an online pain coping skills training program can reduce joint, bone, and muscle pain in breast cancer survivors who take aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Participants are women who have completed primary cancer treatment and experience AI-related joint pain. They will either receive standard education or the same education plus access to an interactive online program that teaches pain coping skills. The goal is to see if the program lessens pain severity and interference, improves quality of life, and helps women stick with their AI medication.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Online Pain Coping Skills Training
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a practical, at-home way to manage chronic pain and improve medication adherence for breast cancer survivors.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral intervention, not a drug, so benefits may be modest. Results depend on participants' engagement and may not apply to everyone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 452 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Female sex * Aged 18 years old or older * Diagnosed with Stage 0-III hormone receptor positive breast cancer * Completed primary cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy) * Postmenopausal * Currently taking AI therapy (letrozole, exemestane, or anastrozole) * Reporting musculoskeletal pain that developed or worsened since starting AI therapy * Reporting at least 15 days of pain in the past 30 days * A worst pain rating of 4 or more on an 11 point (0-10) numerical rating scale in the past week * Based on known factors affecting their prognosis, patient is likely to be able to complete the study protocol * ECOG performance status of 0-2 * English proficient * If participants are taking analgesics, they must be on a stable analgesic regimen for at least 14 days prior to enrollment and should not have planned upward dose titration of their analgesics during the study period. (Note: Patients may elect to decrease their analgesic use during the study as per discussion with their provider. Unexpected dose adjustments including dose escalations due to unforeseen clinical need is allowed. Cannabis taken for pain relief would qualify as an analgesic) * Comfortable using a tablet computer, a computer, or a smartphone to access online training Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of metastatic disease * Other active cancer (with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer) * Completed chemotherapy or radiation therapy less than four weeks prior to enrollment (these treatments can cause temporary exacerbation of musculoskeletal symptoms that typically resolve spontaneously) * Completed surgery less than 8 weeks prior to enrollment (because surgery can cause temporary post-surgical pain that typically resolves in this period of time); minor surgeries may be allowed more recently than 8 weeks at the discretion of the study team * Have diagnosed or suspected condition that would interfere with informed consent or completion of study activities (e.g., significant impairment in cognition or uncorrected hearing/vision)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, 27708, United States
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Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a newer drug ease the bone pain of chemotherapy support?