Needles vs. nausea: electroacupuncture trial aims to calm chemo side effects

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Radiologically and pathologically confirmed stage I-III breast cancer; 2. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score of 0-1; 3. Age between 18 and 75 years; 4. Scheduled to receive highly emetogenic chemotherapy regimens, such as EC (epirubicin + cyclophosphamide) or platinum-based regimens, during the first cycle of neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy; 5. No prior acupuncture treatment within one month before enrollment; 6. Voluntary participation in the study with written informed consent obtained; (7) An expected survival of at least 3 months; (8) Premenopausal women must agree to use contraception during the study period; (9) Adequate bone marrow, liver, and kidney function as defined by standard laboratory criteria. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with advanced-stage cancer; 2. Those undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy; 3. Individuals with severe impairment of vital organ function who cannot tolerate standard-dose chemotherapy; 4. Patients with contraindications to acupuncture, such as active skin infections; 5. Those with digestive system diseases accompanied by nausea and vomiting symptoms that may interfere with accurate assessment; 6. Patients with a history of xerostomia; 7. Individuals with known allergies to the study drugs; 8. Pregnant or breastfeeding patients; 9. Individuals currently using medications with antiemetic activity, such as 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, corticosteroids (except at physiological doses), dopamine receptor antagonists, minor tranquilizers, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines (except for nighttime sedation); 10. Patients with seizure disorders requiring anticonvulsant therapy; 11. Those receiving thiazides as chronic antipsychotic medications; 12. Those with known arrhythmias, uncontrolled congestive heart failure, or acute myocardial infarction.