Acupuncture needles aim to stop Chemo's nerve pain
NCT ID NCT07663396
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether electroacupuncture (using mild electric pulses on needles) plus tiny thumbtack needles can prevent nerve damage caused by chemotherapy in people with early-stage cancer. About 278 patients with breast, stomach, bowel, lung, or ovarian cancer will receive the treatment during chemo. The goal is to see if this approach reduces the chance of developing painful nerve problems.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electroacupuncture and thumbtack needles
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to prevent painful nerve damage from chemotherapy, improving quality of life for cancer patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with no results yet. The effect may be small or not work for everyone, and the needles may cause minor discomfort or bruising.
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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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 278 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2029
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: * Age ≥ 18 years. * Pathological and imaging examinations confirmed the diagnosis of early-stage cancer(I-III stage), including: breast cancer, gastric cancer, intestinal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer or ovarian cancer. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 0 or 1. * Scheduled to receive chemotherapy containing a taxane, utidelone, or oxaliplatin, with no significant pre-existing neurological symptoms prior to chemotherapy. Specific regimens include: Colorectal cancer: Oxaliplatin-containing regimen. Gastric cancer: Oxaliplatin-containing or taxane-containing regimen. Breast cancer: Taxane-containing or utidelone-containing regimen. Non small cell lung cancer or Ovarian cancer: Taxane-containing regimen. * No history of acupuncture treatment within one month prior to study initiation. * Adequate major organ function, meeting the following laboratory criteria: Hematology: Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L; Platelet count ≥ 100 × 10\^9/L; White blood cell count 3.5 - 9.5 × 10\^9/L; Hemoglobin ≥ 100 g/L. Hepatic Function: Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal; Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase ≤ 3 × ULN; Serum bilirubin concentration \< 1.5 mg/dL; Serum albumin \> 2.5 g/dL. Renal Function: Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 × ULN, OR calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula). Coagulation: International normalized ratio ≤ 1.5, AND activated partial thromboplastin time ≤ 1.5 × ULN. * Willing to receive acupuncture intervention and undergo subsequent follow-up assessments. * Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and sign an informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with advanced cancer. * Pre-existing peripheral neuropathy prior to the initiation of chemotherapy. * Severe impairment of major organ function, rendering the patient unable to tolerate standard-dose chemotherapy. * Presence of active skin infection or other conditions unsuitable for acupuncture treatment. * Coexisting underlying diseases associated with peripheral neuropathy, such as diabetes mellitus, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. * Current use of medications for neuropathic pain (e.g., gabapentin, pregabalin). * Pregnant or lactating patients. * Presence of dermatological conditions, as assessed by the clinician, that may interfere with the study procedures or outcomes. * Patients with active brain metastases. * Patients with a history of implanted cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators, or a history of epilepsy.
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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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Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital
Xining, Qinghai, 810000, China
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