Needles vs. nerve pain: can acupuncture shield breast cancer patients from chemotherapy side effects?
NCT ID NCT05458284
First seen Aug 05, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether acupuncture can prevent taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) — nerve damage causing pain and tingling in arms and legs — from worsening in breast cancer patients receiving weekly taxane chemotherapy. Participants with early-stage breast cancer who already have mild TIPN will receive either real acupuncture or sham acupuncture weekly until chemotherapy ends. The study compares the two to see if real acupuncture can keep nerve pain from progressing and protect 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
- Real acupuncture (thin needles inserted at specific body sites) compared with sham acupuncture (different needles and sites)
- What this could lead to
- If real acupuncture works, it could offer a drug-free way to prevent chemotherapy-induced nerve pain from worsening, helping breast cancer patients maintain quality of life during treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase II trial with only 80 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The sham acupuncture is a strong placebo control, and real acupuncture may not prove more effective. Acupuncture is generally safe but may cause minor bruising or soreness.
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 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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80 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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: Screening Phase: * English or Spanish-proficient men and women aged ≥18 years * Histological diagnoses of invasive carcinoma of the breast * Plan to receive curative intent chemotherapy regimen containing 12 weeks weekly paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel as standard of care Intervention Phase: * TIPN grade ≥1 based on the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0, developed while receiving taxane * ≥ 4 4 weeks of either weekly paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel, or paclitaxel or abraxane with dosing every 2-3 weeks planned, as standard of care and at treating physician's discretion * Willing to adhere to requirement that no new pain medication or dose changes be taken throughout the first 12 weeks of the study period * Willing to adhere to all study-related procedures, including randomization to one of the two possible acupuncture treatments Exclusion Criteria: Screening Phase: * Pre-existing peripheral neuropathy within 28 days of screening consent * Currently taking anti-neuropathy medication such as gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine or glutamine Intervention Phase: * Currently taking anti-neuropathy medication such as gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine or glutamine * Use of acupuncture for symptom management within 28 days of intervention consent
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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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Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau
Rockville Centre, New York, 11553, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk- Commack
Commack, New York, 11725, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
Harrison, New York, 10604, United States
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