Psychophysical Studies of Cancer Therapy-Induced Pain: A Feasibility Study
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Summary
The Aim of this Study is to examine the feasibility of using quantitative sensory testing procedures, widely applied to the experimental study of sensory processing in humans both with and without various pain syndromes, to now characterize the psychophysical properties of neuropathic pain that has developed as a consequence of cancer therapy. Skin punch biopsies will be performed in patients with chemotherapy-induced pain to determine whether the impairment of nerve function is due to actual retraction or loss of innervation to the skin in areas affected by sensory disturbance.
Description
Study Participation: Participants will be contacted either before their initiation of chemotherapy or following their referral to pain management service for neuropathic cancer treatment-related pain. The sensory tests will take about 1 hour to complete. These tests will seek to find the threshold (a measure of sensitivity) at which you perceive stimuli, such as touch, coolness, warmth, hot/cold feeling and pinprick. You will be asked to rate the intensity of each of these stimuli that you perceive to be painful. You will also be asked to rate the intensity of stimuli that are at a fixed int…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Since moderate pain, albeit brief, will be induced, this feasibility project will be limited to consenting adults, 18 years old or older, in which there is also a well established QST database. 2. The subjects must be able to understand the nature of the study and have signed consent. 3. The patients must either: a) have pain that has developed as a consequence of cancer therapy with either vinca alkaloids, taxanes, bortezomib, thalidomide, platinum-based compounds or ionizing irradiation. OR b) have no pain that has developed as a consequence of cancer therapy, and are…
Interventions
- OtherSensory Tests
Tests to find the threshold at which perceive stimuli.
Location
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas