Acupuncture as add-on to G-CSF for Febrile Neutropenia-related Hospitalization in Doxorubicin-treated Patients With Sarcoma

April 23, 2026 updated by: Noah Samuels, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

Acupuncture as add-on to GCS-F Treatment for Reducing Febrile Neutropenia-related Hospitalization in Patients Undergoing Doxorubicin-based Treatment for Sarcoma: a Randomized Crossover Study

Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (CIFN) is a dangerous complication of many chemotherapy drugs, with current treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) accompanied by adverse effects, primarily muscle and bone pain. Adult patients with sarcoma treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy have a high risk (>40%) for developing CIFN. Acupuncture has been shown to have a potentially myelo-protective effect on bone marrow during chemotherapy, though its effect on the incidence of CIFN-related hospitalization has yet to be examined. In the proposed study, patients with sarcoma will be randomly allocated (in a ratio of 1:1) to Group A, receiving acupuncture during cycles 1, 3, and 5; or Group B, during cycles 2, 4, and 6, with the study oncologist blinded regarding allocation. Acupuncture will be administered on the first day (d1) and the 8th day (d8) of the chemotherapy cycles, with press-tack needles on d1 to d8, and patients will be taught to self-treat with acupressure from d8 to the next cycle. The incidence and duration of hospitalization due to CIFN will be examined, as will adherence to the chemotherapy regimen; G-CSF-related pain; and other outcomes using 3 quality-of-life-focused questionnaires. The study findings will have important implications regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of patients treated with chemotherapy drugs with a high risk for CIFN, such as those used in the treatment of sarcoma.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Israel
      • Jerusalem, Israel, 91031
        • Shaare Zedek Medical Center
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 18-65 years
  • diagnosed with sarcoma of any stage
  • scheduled for doxorubicin-based chemotherapy
  • function ECOG status score of 0-1

Exclusion Criteria:

  • not fulfilling all inclusion criteria
  • unwilling or unable to provide written informed consent for study participation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Group A
Patients in Group A will undergo the acupuncture intervention at the 1st chemotherapy cycle; no acupuncture at the 2nd cycle; intervention at the 3rd; and so on.
Device: Acupuncture
Acupuncture will be administered bilaterally on points PC6, LI 4, CV6, SP6, SP10 and ST36 on the first day of each cycle (d1), prior to administration of chemotherapy; and on d8, each session lasting between 30 to 45 minutes. Patients will continue from d1 to d8 with press-tack acupuncture needles on points PC 6, LI4, SP 6 and ST 36. On d8, patients will again undergo acupuncture, and continue with self-acupressure on the same points as the press-tack needles, until the next chemotherapy cycle.
Other Names:
  • Acupuncture needle; Press-Tack needle; Self-Acupressure
Active Comparator: Group B
No intervention at the 1st cycle; acupuncture intervention at the 2nd cycle; and so on.
Device: Acupuncture
Acupuncture will be administered bilaterally on points PC6, LI 4, CV6, SP6, SP10 and ST36 on the first day of each cycle (d1), prior to administration of chemotherapy; and on d8, each session lasting between 30 to 45 minutes. Patients will continue from d1 to d8 with press-tack acupuncture needles on points PC 6, LI4, SP 6 and ST 36. On d8, patients will again undergo acupuncture, and continue with self-acupressure on the same points as the press-tack needles, until the next chemotherapy cycle.
Other Names:
  • Acupuncture needle; Press-Tack needle; Self-Acupressure

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Incidence of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia-related hospitalization
Time Frame: 3 weeks
3 weeks
Duration of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia-related hospitalization
Time Frame: 3 weeks
3 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Relative Dose Intensity of Chemotherapy Regimen
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Actual vs. planned dosage and interval between cycles
3 weeks
G-CSF-related muscle and bone pain
Time Frame: 3 wseks
Patient-reported outcome measures
3 wseks
Quality of life-related outcomes: Quantitative Assessment
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Patient-reported outcome measures
3 weeks
Quality of life-related outcomes: Qualitative Assessment
Time Frame: 3 weeks
MYCaW narratives
3 weeks
Adverse effects of study intervention
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Patient medical files
3 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Noah Samuels, MD, Shaare Zeded Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 8, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 8, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 15, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ACP-CIFN.2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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