Receiving or not receiving acupuncture in a trial: the experience of participants recovering from breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experience of breast cancer patients who either received acupuncture or were allocated to the control group.

Methods: Focus group/interviews nested within our multi-site randomised controlled trial. Participants were recruited from the standard care and experimental arm. The interviews/focus groups were transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results: Of the 302 eligible participants 13% (n = 40) contributed to the focus groups/interviews, across three study sites in the UK. Five common themes were identified, including: drivers to take part, the experience of receiving acupuncture, being allocated standard care (control) and reflections on taking part in the trial. The subgroup of control group participants (n = 9) reported disappointment on hearing their allocation, but recognised the value of their role to the study.

Conclusions: Recipients of acupuncture reported beneficial effects in managing fatigue and related symptoms. The finding that control participants were disappointed warrants further investigation and consideration when designing interventional studies.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Cancer; Clinical trial; Control group; Fatigue.