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

• We explored the experience of breast cancer patients who took part in an acupuncture study.
• Focus groups were nested within a multi-site randomised controlled trial.
• Themes included the experience of receiving acupuncture and being in the control group.
• Control group participants reported disappointment on hearing their allocation.

ObjectiveTo explore the experience of breast cancer patients who either received acupuncture or were allocated to the control group.MethodsFocus 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.ResultsOf 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.ConclusionsRecipients 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.