Acupuncture in the Management of Post Operative Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients

A Randomized, Intent to Treat, Controlled Study of the Efficacy of Verum Acupuncture Compared to Sham Acupuncture in the Management of Post Operative Symptoms in Breast Cancer Subjects That Have Undergone Axillary Surgery

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00419822

Enrollment

Registered

2007-01-09

Start date

2006-09-30

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2011-07-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Keywords

Acupuncture, Range of Motion, Quality of Life

Brief summary

This study is for the woman who will have axillary (armpit) surgery as part of their breast cancer treatment. The purpose of this project is to evaluate if acupuncture is helpful to control pain and improve range of motion (arm movement). Another goal is to find out if women have an improvement in their quality of life. This study is being done in collaboration with the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM).

Interventions

PROCEDUREAcupuncture

6 Acupuncture visits

PROCEDURESham Acupuncture

6 Acupuncture visits with sham procedure

OTHERPatient to receive standard care without Acupuncture or Sham Acupuncture.

Standard care

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

FACTORIAL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

21 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Female subjects * Expected survival at least 6 months or greater * Has had surgery with axillary dissection * Greater than 6 nodes removed during surgery * Greater than 21 years of age

Exclusion criteria

* Previous mastectomy * Double mastectomy at the time of current axillary surgery * Any diagnoses of autoimmune disease * Pregnant or lactating women * Unable to provide written informed consent * Suspected or diagnosed fibromyalgia * Previous shoulder injuries for the specific arm that will undergo axillary dissection * Known or suspected drug or alcohol abuse as determined by the investigator * Decreased range of motion (ROM) as evidenced on standard preoperative exam * Previous acupuncture (lifetime)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Determine the difference in pain and range of motion	3 months after surgery
Determine the difference in function	3 months after surgery
Determine the difference in quality of life	3 months after surgery

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026