S1200: Acupuncture, Sham Acupuncture, or Wait List for Joint Symptoms Related to Aromatase Inhibitors in Pts W/Early-Stage Breast Cancer

RATIONALE: Acupuncture may help relieve joint pain. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial studies acupuncture to see how well it works compared to sham acupuncture or waitlist in treating patients with joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors in patients with early-stage breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine whether true acupuncture administered twice weekly for 6 weeks (8-12 sessions) compared to sham acupuncture and waitlist control causes a significant reduction in joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in women with early-stage breast cancer as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) worst pain score at 6 weeks. Secondary * To investigate the effects of true acupuncture administered twice weekly for 6 weeks (8-12 sessions) followed by 6 weekly treatments (4-6 sessions) of maintenance (12-18 sessions total over 12 weeks) compared to sham acupuncture and waitlist control in this study population; the evaluations at 12 and 24 weeks are to determine the benefit of additional 6 weekly acupuncture treatments for maintenance and to determine the durability of response after stopping acupuncture, respectively; the evaluation at 52 weeks is to determine the long-term effects of acupuncture and adherence to AIs. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on the BPI-SF worst pain, worst stiffness, pain severity, and pain-related interference scores at 6, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index (pain, stiffness, and function) for the hips and knees at 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on Modified-Score for the Assessment and Quantification of Chronic Rheumatoid Affections of the Hands (M-SACRAH) (pain, stiffness, and function) at 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on the PROMIS Pain Impact-Short Form (PROMIS PI-SF) at 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on quality of life (QOL) as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endocrine Subscales (FACT-ES) at 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on functional testing with grip strength and "Timed Get Up and Go" (TGUG) test at 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on analgesic and opioid use at 2, 4, 6, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on self-reported AI adherence at 12, 24, and 52 weeks. * To assess AI adherence via urine AI metabolites at baseline, 24, and 52 weeks. * To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on serum hormones (estradiol, FSH, LH) and inflammatory biomarkers (serum TNFα, IL-6, IL-12, CRP, and urine c-telopeptides of Type II collagen (CTX-II) at 6, 12, and 24 weeks. (Exploratory) * To evaluate whether polymorphisms in CYP19A1 aromatase gene predict severity of AI-related joint symptoms. (Exploratory) * To assess the safety and tolerability of acupuncture in this study population. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to study site. Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive acupuncture twice weekly for 6 weeks and then once weekly for 6 weeks. * Arm II: Patients receive sham acupuncture twice weekly for 6 weeks and then once weekly for 6 weeks. * Arm III: Patients are assigned to a waiting list for 12 weeks. Patients complete the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index, the Modified-Score for the Assessment and Quantification of Chronic Rheumatoid Affections of the Hands (M-SACRAH), the PROMIS Pain Impact-Short Form (PROMIS PI-SF), the FACT-ES Trial Outcome Index, and the Aromatase Inhibitor Usage Form questionnaires at baseline and at 6, 12, 24 and 52 weeks. Patients undergo blood sample collection at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks for serum hormones (estradiol, FSH, LH) levels, inflammatory markers (TNFα, IL-6, IL-12, CRP), and DNA analysis. Urine samples are also collected at baseline and at 24 and 52 weeks for c-telopeptides of Type II collagen and aromatase inhibitor metabolites analysis. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 24 and 52 weeks.