A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Management of Hot Flashes in Patients With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Starting soon · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Acupuncture Treatment, Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Hot Flashes

In brief

Hot flashes are among the most common and distressing adverse effects experienced by patients receiving endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and non-hormonal medications can alleviate symptoms but are limited by side effects and safety concerns, leading to poor adherence. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical therapy involving percutaneous stimulation of specific acupoints, has shown potential to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes with minimal adverse events. This randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in managing hot flashes in postoperative breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy. Sixty eligible patients with stage I-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture, three times per week for eight weeks, followed by a 16-week follow-up period without acupuncture. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be employed to explore neural mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects, alongside assessments of hot flash frequency, quality of life (FACT-B+ES), sleep quality (PSQI), and serum biomarkers related to endocrine and neuropeptide regulation. The results are expected to provide evidence for the efficacy and central mechanisms of acupuncture in managing hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT07294339
Run by
Peking University People's Hospital
People needed
60
Starts
2026-04-01
Expected to finish
2027-10-01
Last updated by the study team
2026-03-19

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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