The ACURE Trial: Acupuncture for Colorectal Recovery

Inclusion Criteria: * 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. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or breastfeeding women. * History of major abdominal surgery within the past 4 weeks. * Receipt of chemotherapy or radiotherapy within the past 6 months. * 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. * Severe malnutrition, defined as a Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) score ≥ 3. * History of total colectomy or requirement for ileorectal anastomosis. * Requirement for multivisceral resection due to tumor invasion. * Scheduled for prophylactic stoma creation. * 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 a…