Actively Recruiting
Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC): A Study of Managing Treatment-Related Joint Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors
Led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Updated on 2026-04-17
200
Participants Needed
9
Research Sites
208 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
M
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The researchers are doing this study to compare two different types of group therapy and find out whether they are effective approaches for helping breast cancer survivors manage joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors (AI). This type of joint pain is called AI-associated arthralgia, or AIA, and it is common in people taking AIs. AIA and its associated symptoms can make some people decide to stop taking their medication. The study will look at the effects of two different types of group therapy on participants' cancer-related symptoms (such as pain, fatigue, and anxiety), their ability to continue taking AIs on a regular schedule, and their quality of life. We will measure participants' quality of life by having them fill out questionnaires. Both groups will have 2-hour group therapy sessions once a week, over the course of 8 weeks. During the sessions, you will be in a group of 6-10 participants, who may be a mixture of patients from both MSK and University of California San Diego (UCSD).
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC): A Study of Managing Treatment-Related Joint Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age 18 years or older
- Women proficient in English with a history of stage I, II, or III breast cancer
- Free of active cancer by clinical examination and history
- Receiving third-generation aromatase inhibitor therapy (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane) for at least 28 days before consent and planning to continue for at least 12 more months
- Worst joint pain rated 4 or higher on a 0-10 scale during the week before consent
- Experiencing joint pain on at least 15 days in the 30 days before consent
- Joint pain present for at least one month
- Pain attributed to aromatase inhibitor therapy
- Willing to follow all study procedures including randomization to one of two therapy groups
- Able to attend video-call sessions in a quiet and private location
You will not qualify if you...
- Metastatic breast cancer (stage IV)
- Completed chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation less than 4 weeks before enrollment
- Joint pain caused by inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or pseudogout
- Surgery or joint injection on affected joints within the last month or planned in the next six months
- Active suicidality or psychosis as determined by a psychiatric interview
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 9 locations
1
University of California San Diego (Data collection and Data analysis)
San Diego, California, United States, 92103
Actively Recruiting
2
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida, United States, 32306
Not Yet Recruiting
3
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (All Protocol Activities)
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States, 07920
Actively Recruiting
4
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All Protocol Activities)
Middletown, New Jersey, United States, 07748
Actively Recruiting
5
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (All Protocol Activities)
Montvale, New Jersey, United States, 07645
Actively Recruiting
6
Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk- Commack (All Protocol Activities)
Commack, New York, United States, 11725
Actively Recruiting
7
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (All Protocol Activities)
Harrison, New York, United States, 10604
Actively Recruiting
8
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
New York, New York, United States, 10065
Actively Recruiting
9
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (All Protocol Activities)
Uniondale, New York, United States, 11553
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
Jun Mao, MD, MSCE
CONTACT
K
Karolina Bryl, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
DOUBLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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