PEACE: Comparing Chronic Pain Treatment Options
PEACE
Personalize Electro-acupuncture vs. Auricular-acupuncture Comparative Effectiveness
1 other identifier
interventional
360
1 country
7
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to compare two types of acupuncture with usual care on treating chronic pain. This study has three groups. Two groups will received acupuncture. One group will receive usual standard of care for 12 weeks and then will receive acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique of using very thin needles inserted in the skin to treat different symptoms and illness, and to promote healing. Each group will undergo a different method of needle administration.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable chronic-pain
Started Nov 2016
Longer than P75 for not_applicable chronic-pain
7 active sites
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
November 1, 2016
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
November 28, 2016
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
December 1, 2016
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
November 1, 2026
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
November 1, 2026
December 4, 2025
December 1, 2025
10 years
November 28, 2016
December 2, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Pain intensity and pain interference will be measured by using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) measure.
12 weeks
Study Arms (3)
Electro-Acupuncture (EA) Procedure
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants will receive 10 treatment of EA acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week).
Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA) Procedure
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants will receive 10 treatment of BFA acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week).
Wait List Control (WLC) Usual Care Procedure
ACTIVE COMPARATORSubjects in the WLC group continue to receive their standard medical care and pain management as prescribed by their physicians or other health care providers, including analgesic medications. After the 12 week follow up period, patients in the WLC will receive up to ten treatments of either EA or BFA based on their personal preference.
Interventions
Participants will receive 10 treatment of Electro-Acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week). The acupuncturist will insert acupuncture needles in at least 4 local points around the body with the most pain and at least 4 distant points to address the patient's baseline constitution. The needles will be electrically stimulate at 2 Hz by connecting to a TENS unit. The needles will be in place for 30 minutes.
Participants will receive 10 treatment of Battle Field Acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week). Acupuncture needles will be placed in the participants' ears. The total duration of BFA delivery is about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how many needles are used in the procedure.
After the waiting period (12 weeks from randomization), participants in the WLC will receive up to ten treatments of either EA or BFA based on their personal preference.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- English speaking
- Age \>/= 18 years or older
- Having musculoskeletal pain, defined as regional (joints, extremities, back, neck) or more generalized (fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain)
- Having a pain rating of 4 or greater in worst pain on a 1-10 numerical rating scale in the preceding week (Patients with a neuropathic component to their pain that involves the extremities or back will be eligible)
- Having had pain for at least 3 months and at least 15 days with pain in the preceding 30 days
- A diagnosis of cancer with no restrictions placed on type of cancer, other than that patients with metastatic disease will be excluded. Eligibility criteria are not restricted to MSK confirmed biopsy/diagnosis. Participating institution's testing is sufficient for other study sites.
- Complete active treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy) at least one month prior to study initiation (patients on continued hormone treatment will not be excluded).
You may not qualify if:
- Have non-musculoskeletal pain syndromes (headache, facial pain, chest pain, visceral abdominal pain) if these are the sole source of pain, but can be present as co-morbid conditions as long as a patient has a primary musculoskeletal pain condition defined s above.
- Inflammatory arthritis that require disease modifying drugs (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)
- Phantom limb pain
- Patients with a history of metastatic cancer who are not currently NED
- Have a pending pain-related VA or social security or worker's comp disability claim by self-report
- Have an implanted electronically charged medical device
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (7)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack
Commack, New York, 11725, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
Harrison, New York, 10604, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, 10065, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Rockville Centre
Rockville Centre, New York, 11570, United States
Related Publications (5)
Li X, Lampson K, Rosa WE, Li QS, Ramalingam MB, Epstein AS, Mao JJ. Effect of acupuncture on fatigue in cancer survivors with chronic pain: a secondary analysis. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Dec 13;34(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-10219-z.
PMID: 41389238DERIVEDBooher A, Mao JJ, Muniz RC, Romero SAD, Li SQ, Lopez AM, Liou KT. Association between Hispanic Ethnicity and Greater Expectation of Benefit from Acupuncture or Massage for Pain in Cancer. J Immigr Minor Health. 2024 Oct;26(5):953-957. doi: 10.1007/s10903-024-01611-8. Epub 2024 Jul 8.
PMID: 38977653DERIVEDBao T, Zhi WI, Baser RE, Li QS, Weitzman M, Gillespie EF, Robson M, Mao JJ. Electro-acupuncture versus battle field auricular acupuncture in breast cancer survivors with chronic musculoskeletal pain: subgroup analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Nov;202(2):287-295. doi: 10.1007/s10549-023-07072-1. Epub 2023 Aug 24.
PMID: 37612534DERIVEDMao JJ, Liou KT, Baser RE, Bao T, Panageas KS, Romero SAD, Li QS, Gallagher RM, Kantoff PW. Effectiveness of Electroacupuncture or Auricular Acupuncture vs Usual Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Among Cancer Survivors: The PEACE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 May 1;7(5):720-727. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.0310.
PMID: 33734288DERIVEDLiou KT, Baser R, Romero SAD, Green J, Li QS, Orlow I, Panageas KS, Mao JJ. Personalized electro-acupuncture versus auricular-acupuncture comparative effectiveness (PEACE): A protocol of a randomized controlled trial for chronic musculoskeletal pain in cancer survivors. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 May 22;99(21):e20085. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000020085.
PMID: 32481275DERIVED
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Jun Mao, MD, MSCE
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
November 28, 2016
First Posted
December 1, 2016
Study Start
November 1, 2016
Primary Completion (Estimated)
November 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
November 1, 2026
Last Updated
December 4, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-12