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Chronic PainPEACENCT02979574

PEACE: Comparing Chronic Pain Treatment Options

A study testing Electro-Acupuncture (EA) and Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA) in people with Chronic Pain and Musculoskeletal Pain, run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at 7 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial 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. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain, Musculoskeletal Pain, Fibromyalgia
What is being tested?
Electro-Acupuncture (EA) and Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
360 participants
Where
7 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Nov 2016to Nov 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 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).

Who cannot join

  • 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

Trial locations and contacts

7 sites in 1 country.

7 sites in 1 country

United States7 sites

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge

    Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack

    Commack, New York, 11725

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester

    Harrison, New York, 10604

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth

    Middletown, New Jersey, 07748

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen

    Montvale, New Jersey, 07645

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    New York, New York, 10065

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Rockville Centre

    Rockville Centre, New York, 11570

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Personalize Electro-acupuncture vs. Auricular-acupuncture Comparative Effectiveness

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.

Being tested
Electro-Acupuncture (EA), Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA), Wait List Control (WLC)
Keywords
acupuncture, pain, chronic pain, pain management, 16-1579
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain, Musculoskeletal Pain, Fibromyalgia, Agnosia, Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Electro-Acupuncture (EA)Procedure or surgery

    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.

  • Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA)Procedure or surgery

    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.

  • Wait List Control (WLC)Device

    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.

Study groups in NCT02979574
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Electro-Acupuncture (EA) ProcedureActive comparatorParticipants will receive 10 treatment of EA acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week).
Receives: Procedure: Electro-Acupuncture (EA)
Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA) ProcedureActive comparatorParticipants will receive 10 treatment of BFA acupuncture over the course of 10 weeks (with a maximum of 2 treatments per week).
Receives: Procedure: Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA)
Wait List Control (WLC) Usual Care ProcedureActive 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.
Receives: Procedure: Electro-Acupuncture (EA); Procedure: Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA); Device: Wait List Control (WLC)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Pain intensity and pain interference will be measured by using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) measure.

    Measured: 12 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Dec 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startNov 2016
  3. Primary completionNov 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionNov 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
360 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02979574
Sponsor's protocol ID
16-1579
Acronym
PEACE
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
28 Nov 2016
Last updated
26 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • 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.

    PubMed 41389238

  • Booher 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.

    PubMed 38977653

  • Bao 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.

    PubMed 37612534

  • Mao 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.

    PubMed 33734288

  • Liou 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.

    PubMed 32481275

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Electro-Acupuncture (EA) and Battle Field Acupuncture (BFA) in people with Chronic Pain and Musculoskeletal Pain, run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at 7 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 7 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pain intensity and pain interference will be measured by using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) measure. (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02979574, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2026.

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