Clinical trial · Interventional
Group Versus Individual Acupuncture for Cancer Pain
A Non-Inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Community (Group) Acupuncture to Individual Acupuncture to Alleviate Cancer Pain
NCT03641222CI-TRIAL-00037643completedN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Typically, in North America, acupuncture is performed on an individual basis. However, community acupuncture, also known as group acupuncture, is an emerging method of treating patients. Cancer patients, post-treatments were given acupuncture treatments to help alleviate pain, in a two-arm randomized trial.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Pain | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Group Acupuncture
- description
- Group acupuncture sessions take place in a multipurpose room, with 3-6 participants, each session lasts 30-45 minutes, occurring twice-weekly, over the course of six weeks, for a total of twelve treatments. The acupuncture was administered by a Naturopathic Doctor.
- interventionNames
- Device: Acupuncture
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Individual Acupuncture
- description
- Individual acupuncture sessions take place in a multipurpose room, privately each session lasts 30-45 minutes, occurring twice-weekly, over the course of six weeks, for a total of twelve treatments. The acupuncture was administered by a Naturopathic Doctor.
- interventionNames
- Device: Acupuncture
Primary outcomes (1)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult cancer patients (≥18 years old), both male and female. 2. Experiencing pain with a minimum worst pain score (in the previous week) ≥3 on the 10-point Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). 3. All tumor groups, including metastatic patients. 4. Participant's pain can originate from any source, including postoperative, malignancy related, and neuropathic pain. 5. Must be willing to be randomized into either group, and must be able to attend a minimum of nine treatment sessions within a six-week period. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Use of acupuncture within the previous six months. 2. Currently on or within one-month of active treatment (chemotherapy or radiation).
References
Publications (3)
- DERIVEDOberoi D, Reed EN, Piedalue KA, Landmann J, Carlson LE. Exploring patient experiences and acceptability of group vs. individual acupuncture for Cancer-related pain: a qualitative study. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2022 Jun 13;22(1):155. doi: 10.1186/s12906-022-03600-6. PMID 35698124
- DERIVEDOberoi DV, Longo CJ, Reed EN, Landmann J, Piedalue KL, Carlson LE. Cost-Utility of Group Versus Individual Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Pain Using Quality-Adjusted Life Years in a Noninferiority Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 May;27(5):390-397. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0386. Epub 2021 Apr 27. PMID 33904784
- DERIVEDOberoi D, McLennan A, Piedalue KA, Wayne PM, Jones JM, Carlson LE. Factors Influencing Preference for Intervention in a Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery and Tai Chi/Qigong in Cancer Survivors. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 May;27(5):423-433. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0400. Epub 2021 Apr 27. PMID 33902334