The Efficacy of Acupuncture as a Complementary Treatment for Pain and Anxiety After Breast Cancer Surgery

The Efficacy of Acupuncture as a Complementary Treatment for Pain and Anxiety After Breast Cancer Surgery: Pragmatic Randomized Control Trial

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Fortunately, survival has improved in recent years thanks to its early detection and curative treatments such as mastectomy. However, this medical procedure is associated with a range of unwanted effects such as postoperative pain and anxiety. Some studies have reported that acupuncture could be an effective treatment to control these types of symptoms, although only few studies have been conducted on women undergoing mastectomy.

Methods: This is a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with blind assessors. The study will be conducted in the Breast Unit of Hospital Universitario Sagrado Corazon of Barcelona (Spain). A sample of 40 women will be recruited and randomized to receive acupuncture treatment in addition to standard care procedures, or standard care procedures alone. The main outcome, pain, will be assessed after the surgical intervention and 4, 10 and 30 days later using the numerical rating scale. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, use of analgesics, nausea, adverse effects, and surgical complications.

Discussion: Acupuncture is a low-cost non-pharmacological strategy. This study will help to clarify its possible role in controlling post-mastectomy adverse effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of breast cancer
• Primary breast cancer patient
• Candidate for breast cancer surgery (mastectomy)
• Aged between 20 and 70 years old
• Consenting to participate in the study and signing the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a previous history of breast cancer
• Have a previous diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorder
• Present risk factors associated with breast cancer
• Do not speak Spanish or Catalan
• Are currently participating in another trial.