Clinical trial · Interventional
Electroacupuncture for the Management of Symptom Clusters in Cancer Patients and Survivors
Electroacupuncture for the Management of Symptom Clusters in Cancer Patients and Survivors (EAST): A Feasibility Study
- 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)
This is a sham-controlled, patient and assessor-blinded pilot trial to evaluate the feasibility of administering EA as an intervention for symptom clusters in cancer patients and survivors, and to evaluate the degree that EA could reduce symptom clusters and the possible underlying mechanisms through examining its influence on biomarkers that are linked with the symptoms. Participants will be randomized to either the treatment arm (those who will receive EA) or the control arm (those who will receive sham-EA). The treatment period for both groups will be 10 weeks. There will be one study visit a week over the course of the 10-week treatment period, for a total of 10 study treatment visits. Participants in the treatment arm will receive EA at 13 standardized acu-points that have been chosen for their therapeutic effects. Participants in the control arm will receive electrical stimulation at non-disease acu-points. There will be four data collection time points for each participant: (1) baseline, (2) mid-treatment (5 weeks from baseline), (3) end of treatment (10 weeks from baseline), and (4) 4 weeks after end of treatment (14 weeks from baseline). At each of these timepoints, 10mL of peripheral blood will be collected for a biomarker analysis and participants will be asked to complete 4 questionnaires and a computerized cognitive test to evaluate their cognitive function, fatigue level, insomnia, psychological distress, and quality of life. An optional neuroimaging procedure will be available to all eligible participants. In total, study participation will last for 14 weeks.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
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 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electroacupuncture | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Sham-Electroacupuncture | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Treatment Arm
- description
- Each participant will attend a total of 10 treatment visits (one visit per week), over the course of 10 weeks. Each EA session will be approximately 1 hour. Participants in the treatment arm will receive EA at 13 standardized acu-points that were chosen for their therapeutic effects.
- interventionNames
- Other: Electroacupuncture
- type
- SHAM_COMPARATOR
- label
- Control Arm
- description
- Each participant in the control arm will attend a total of 10 treatment visits (one visit per week), over the course of 10 weeks. Participants in the control arm will receive electrical stimulation at non-disease related acu-points for approximately 1 hour per session.
- interventionNames
- Other: Sham-Electroacupuncture
Primary outcomes (1)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 16 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients diagnosed with cancer that have received anti-cancer treatment * 16 years of age or older * Life expectancy ≥ 6 months * Complaints of one or more of the following symptoms: memory impairment/attention deficit, fatigue, insomnia, depression, or anxiety over the past 7 days Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of metastasis * Severe needle phobia * Severe psychiatric or medical disorders which would affect cognitive assessments * Known bleeding disorder (e.g. hemophilia, Von Willebrand's disease, thrombocytopenia) * Has pacemaker or other electronic metal implants * Epilepsy * Already receiving acupuncture therapy or received acupuncture treatment in the past 3 months. * Breastfeeding, pregnant or are planning get pregnant during the study period Additional exclusion criteria for optional neuroimaging procedure: \- Has any contraindications to fMRI including metal fragments/implants in the body, sever claustrophobia, and non-removable metal orthodontic braces, metallic retainers and oral wires.
References
Publications (11)
- BACKGROUNDJanelsins MC, Heckler CE, Peppone LJ, Kamen C, Mustian KM, Mohile SG, Magnuson A, Kleckner IR, Guido JJ, Young KL, Conlin AK, Weiselberg LR, Mitchell JW, Ambrosone CA, Ahles TA, Morrow GR. Cognitive Complaints in Survivors of Breast Cancer After Chemotherapy Compared With Age-Matched Controls: An Analysis From a Nationwide, Multicenter, Prospective Longitudinal Study. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Feb 10;35(5):506-514. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.68.5826. Epub 2016 Dec 28. PMID 28029304
- BACKGROUNDNg T, Dorajoo SR, Cheung YT, Lam YC, Yeo HL, Shwe M, Gan YX, Foo KM, Loh WK, Koo SL, Jain A, Lee GE, Dent R, Yap YS, Ng R, Chan A. Distinct and heterogeneous trajectories of self-perceived cognitive impairment among Asian breast cancer survivors. Psychooncology. 2018 Apr;27(4):1185-1192. doi: 10.1002/pon.4635. Epub 2018 Feb 1. PMID 29315963
- BACKGROUNDCheung YT, Ng T, Shwe M, Ho HK, Foo KM, Cham MT, Lee JA, Fan G, Tan YP, Yong WS, Madhukumar P, Loo SK, Ang SF, Wong M, Chay WY, Ooi WS, Dent RA, Yap YS, Ng R, Chan A. Association of proinflammatory cytokines and chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: a multi-centered, prospective, cohort study. Ann Oncol. 2015 Jul;26(7):1446-51. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdv206. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PMID 25922060
- BACKGROUNDToh YL, Tan CJ, Yeo AHL, Shwe M, Ho HK, Gan YX, Foo KM, Chu P, Olson K, Chan A. Association of plasma leptin, pro-inflammatory adipokines and cancer-related fatigue in early-stage breast cancer patients: A prospective cohort study. J Cell Mol Med. 2019 Jun;23(6):4281-4289. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.14319. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID 31016867
- BACKGROUNDCheung YT, Shwe M, Chui WK, Chay WY, Ang SF, Dent RA, Yap YS, Lo SK, Ng RC, Chan A. Effects of chemotherapy and psychosocial distress on perceived cognitive disturbances in Asian breast cancer patients. Ann Pharmacother. 2012 Dec;46(12):1645-55. doi: 10.1345/aph.1R408. Epub 2012 Dec 18. PMID 23249868
- BACKGROUNDLiou KT, Root JC, Garland SN, Green J, Li Y, Li QS, Kantoff PW, Ahles TA, Mao JJ. Effects of acupuncture versus cognitive behavioral therapy on cognitive function in cancer survivors with insomnia: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Cancer. 2020 Jul 1;126(13):3042-3052. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32847. Epub 2020 Apr 22.