NCT07496528Not yet recruiting
The ACURE Trial: Acupuncture for Colorectal Recovery
Acupuncture for Colorectal sUrgery Recovery Enhancement: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Gastrointestinal Functional Recovery After Minimally Invasive Resection
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 Apr 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Purpose: The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether electroacupuncture (EA) can accelerate the recovery of bowel function in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer. Main Questions to be Answered: Does electroacupuncture reduce the time to the first bowel movement after surgery compared to standard care or a "sham" (placebo) treatment? Can electroacupuncture improve overall gastrointestinal tolerance and reduce postoperative discomfort? Study Design: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Electroacupuncture Group: Receives active electrical stimulation at specific acupuncture points. Sham Acupuncture Group: Receives superficial needling at non-treatment points with no electrical current to serve as a placebo. Standard Care Group: Receives standard hospital recovery protocols (ERAS) without acupuncture. All treatments will consist of four 30-minute sessions: one before surgery and three on the days following the procedure. Researchers will compare the three groups to see if the electroacupuncture group experiences a faster return of digestive function.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 240 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 23 Mar 2026
- Start date
- 1 Apr 2026
- Primary completion date
- 31 Mar 2028
- Lead sponsor
- Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
- Diseases
- Colorectal cancer
- NCT number
- NCT07496528
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 240
- From 1 Apr 2026 to the primary completion date, 31 Mar 2028
- No sites listed in no country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Receipt of chemotherapy or radiotherapy within the past 6 months.
- Requirement for multivisceral resection due to tumor invasion.
Other illness
- History of major abdominal surgery within the past 4 weeks.
- History of organ transplantation with rejection episodes within the past 30 days.
- Presence of active infection (e.g., tuberculosis, sepsis, peritonitis).
- Positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV with an uncontrolled viral load.
- History of total colectomy or requirement for ileorectal anastomosis.
- Moderate to severe cognitive impairment, epilepsy, or uncontrolled neurological disorders.
- Active psychiatric illness (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) that may interfere with study compliance.
- Severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency (e.g., New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] class IV heart failure or requirement for long-term oxygen therapy).
- Presence of open wounds, skin infections, or known allergies at or near the designated acupuncture sites.
- History of adverse reactions to acupuncture, including syncope (fainting) or needle phobia.
- Participation in another clinical trial within the past 6 months.
- Anticipated inability to complete the study protocol due to physical, psychological, or logistical reasons.
Other
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- Severe malnutrition, defined as a Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) score ≥ 3.
- Scheduled for prophylactic stoma creation.
Who the study is looking for
- Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer requiring scheduled curative-intent resection.
- Age between 18 and 79 years, inclusive.
- Ability to understand the study protocol and provide written informed consent.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of I, II, or III.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 80 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.