Preventing Joint Pain from Aromatase Inhibitors Using Acupuncture or Virtual Acupressure in Non-Hispanic Black Postmenopausal Women with Early-Stage Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying if in-person acupuncture or virtual acupressure can prevent joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitor AI therapy in Non-Hispanic Black postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors help treat this type of breast cancer by lowering estrogen but often cause joint pain that makes many women stop treatment early. This trial aims to reduce that pain and improve adherence to AI therapy in this population. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups one group receives in-person acupuncture sessions twice weekly for six weeks, then once weekly for six weeks along with standard AI therapy another group performs self-administered virtual acupressure with the same schedule alongside AI therapy the third group receives only the standard AI therapy. After completing these interventions, participants are followed for 12 months or until they start new cancer treatments. During the study, researchers measure joint pain severity using the Brief Pain Inventory and track the incidence of joint pain over six months. They also assess AI therapy adherence, symptom burden, satisfaction with the interventions, and ease of completing the therapies. Participants may join focus groups to discuss barriers and facilitators to treatment. Safety and outcomes are monitored throughout the trials duration.

Acutherapy to Prevent Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Arthralgias in Non-Hispanic Black Postmenopausal Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer