Electroacupuncture on Treating Cancer-related Depression
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-75
SponsorShanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
About this trial
Cancer-related depression (CRD) is a common psychological condition among cancer patients during diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, and is associated with reduced quality of life, impaired immune function, and poorer clinical outcomes. As cancer incidence and mortality continue to rise in China, the psychological burden on patients is receiving increasing attention. Electroacupuncture (EA) has shown potential in treating various types of depression and related somatic symptoms, but evidence regarding its efficacy, safety, and long-term effects in CRD remains limited. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of EA for CRD, with the goal of providing evidence to support effective and optimized treatment strategies.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Presence of depression attributed to cancer itself or cancer-related treatments, meeting the diagnostic criteria for depressive disorder（DSM-V).
Age between 18 and 75 years, regardless of sex.
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17) total score >17 at baseline.
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of ≤2.
Disqualifiers
Planned to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or other active cancer-related treatments during the study period.
History of major depressive episodes prior to cancer diagnosis.
Pain Rating Index (PRI) score ≥4 due to cancer-related pain.
Estimated life expectancy of 12 months or less.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Electroacupuncture treatment
- Superficial acupuncture at Non-Acupoints
- Standard care
Treatment groups
86 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
Source ClinicalTrials.gov