Ancient acupoint plaster could cut opioid use in cancer pain
NCT ID NCT07657390
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a traditional Chinese herbal plaster called Gutong Plaster, applied to specific acupoints, can improve pain relief and reduce opioid use in adults with moderate to severe cancer pain. Participants receive either the real plaster or a placebo alongside standard oxycodone treatment for 14 days. The study measures pain scores, opioid consumption, and quality of life to see if adding the plaster makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Gutong Plaster (herbal mixture applied to acupoints)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to boost pain control and lower the need for strong opioids in cancer patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with only 198 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The plaster may not provide meaningful extra pain relief over standard care.
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
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 198 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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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Anyone
- 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: 1. The subject has signed the informed consent form. 2. Age ≥ 18 years, including males and females. 3. According to the investigator's assessment, the subject has relatively stable cancer pain and requires continuous analgesic medication (estimated treatment duration ≥ 2 weeks). 4. Estimated life expectancy ≥ 3 months. 5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0-3. 6. Adequate organ function. 7. Patients with moderate to severe cancer pain, defined as 4 ≤ NRS (Numeric Rating Scale) score ≤ 8. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known allergy to any active ingredient or excipient of the study drug, or a history of allergy to other opioids and their related components. 2. Persistent pain caused by other diseases or unknown causes. 3. Subjects presenting with urgent symptoms such as intestinal obstruction/perforation, spinal cord compression, or pathological fracture. 4. History of severe psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. 5. Patients currently receiving chemotherapy or still in the chemotherapy reaction period (patients in the chemotherapy interval may be included. That is, patients who have completed chemotherapy for more than 1 week can be enrolled, or patients who have just finished chemotherapy may be enrolled at the investigator's discretion). 6. Patients who have received radiotherapy to the pain area within 4 weeks before enrollment (those who have received radiotherapy to areas other than the pain area may be included), or those who plan to receive radiotherapy to the pain area during the study. 7. Other conditions deemed unsuitable for participation in this study by the investigator, such as poor compliance.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College
RECRUITINGBeijing, 100700, China