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Managing Joint Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors

This study is for women who have survived breast cancer and are experiencing joint pain from aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy (like anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane). Researchers want to see if two different group therapies, Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) or Supportive Psychotherapy (SG), can help manage this pain. The goal is to improve your pain, fatigue, and anxiety, help you continue your AI medication, and improve your overall quality of life. Success will be measured by how much your pain interference (how much pain affects your daily life) changes over 24 weeks. The study is currently recruiting about 200 participants.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 200 women. It compares two different behavioral group therapies.
What's involved
You would attend eight weekly two-hour group therapy sessions. You would also fill out questionnaires for up to 24 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
You will be followed for up to 24 weeks, with pain interference measured at that time.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06728579

Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC): A Study of Managing Treatment-Related Joint Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors

Recruiting
PHASE2Ages 18+InterventionalTreatment
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
~200 participants
Updated 2026-04-17 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE)QuestionnairesSupportive Psychotherapy (SG)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
8 of 9 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Pain Interference
Measured over up to 24 weeks

Conditions

Breast Cancer Survivor

Explore related trials

ArthralgiaBreast Carcinoma

Where it's being run

9 sites across 4 states
New York4
New Jersey3
California1
Florida1

Study leadership

  • Jun Mao, MD, MSCE · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Who to contact

Jun Mao, MD, MSCE
[email protected]
646-608-8553
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Age ≥18 years
English-proficient women with a history of stage I, II, or III breast cancer
Free of oncologic disease by clinical examination and history;
Receiving third-generation AI therapy (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane) for at least 28 days prior to consent with plan to continue for at least another 12 months;
Worst joint pain rated at least 4 or greater on a 0-10 numeric rating scale in the preceding week prior to consent;
Reporting at least 15 days with pain in the preceding 30 days prior to consent;
Experiencing joint pain for at least one month;
Pain attributed to AI therapy;
Willing to adhere to all study-related procedures, including randomization to one of two treatment arms: Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) or Supportive Group Psychotherapy (SG);
Able to attend video-call sessions in a quiet/private location.

Exclusion

Metastatic breast cancer (stage IV);
Completed chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy less than 4 weeks prior to enrollment;
Pain attributed to inflammatory arthritis (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pseudogout);
Surgery or joint injection involving the affected joints within the last month or planned within the next six months;
Active suicidality or psychosis as determined by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

What this trial measures

  • Pain Interferenceup to 24 weeks

    Pain interference will be assessed using the 7-item Pain Interference subscale from the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF). Each item is rated on a scale from 0 ("does not interfere") to 10 ("completely interferes"), with higher scores indicating worse interference. The BPI is a widely used, reliable, valid, and responsive tool for measuring pain (Cronbach's α 0.77-0.91). The Pain Interference subscale will be administered at baseline, weekly during the 8-week intervention, and at weeks 12 and 24. Completing the survey requires approximately 1 minute.