Clinical trial · Observational
Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect of Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy on Pain Threshold in Breast Cancer Patients
Prospective Pilot Study to Determine the Effect of Aromatase Inhibitor-induced Estrogen Depletion on Evoked Pain Threshold and Psychosocial Factors in Breast Cancer Patients
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Postmenopausal women who have hormone receptor positive breast cancer are typically treated with aromatase inhibitor medications, which substantially decrease the amount of estrogen produced by their bodies. These medications are fairly well tolerated, but can cause aches and pains which can be quite severe in some cases. People experience pain differently. Estrogen appears to play a role in how we experience pain. Therefore, decreasing estrogen levels may lead to more pain in some women than others. The goal of this study is to evaluate perception of pain in women with breast cancer, and to determine if differences in pain perception lead to more aches and pains in some women treated with aromatase inhibitors. In this study, we plan to enroll 55 women with breast cancer who are starting treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. Participants will undergo testing to evaluate their perception of pain, and will also complete a set of questionnaires. Testing will be conducted before starting aromatase inhibitor therapy, as well as after 3 and 6 months of therapy. We will investigate whether pre-existing differences in pain perception lead to different amounts of pain during aromatase inhibitor therapy.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthralgia | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Breast Cancer | Malignant Breast Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
| Pain | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (3)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anastrozole | Drug | Anastrozole | ALIAS |
| exemestane | Drug | Exemestane | ALIAS |
| letrozole | Drug | Letrozole | ALIAS |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- label
- Women starting AI therapy
- description
- There is only a single cohort. Postmenopausal women with ER positive breast cancer who are starting treatment with anastrozole 1 mg daily, letrozole 2.5 mg daily, or exemestane 25 mg daily. Choice of therapy is at the discretion of the treating physician.
- interventionNames
- Drug: Anastrozole
- Drug: exemestane
- Drug: letrozole
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Mean Pain50 Assessed at Baseline, 3 Months and 6 Months
- timeFrame
- Baseline, 3 months, 6 months
- description
- Patients rated the intensity of each pressure sensation using a 0 to 100 numerical rating scale (0 = no pain, 100 = worst pain imaginable). Pain50 was defined as the amount of applied pressure in kilograms per square centimeter that evoked a pain intensity rating of 50 out of 100. Pain50 was assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Change in Pain50 with estrogen depletion was determined.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 21 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Female gender * Postmenopausal, age 21 or greater * Stage 0-III estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor positive breast cancer who will be receiving a standard dose of letrozole, anastrozole, or exemestane * Performance status 0-2 * Willing to sign the consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Average pain \>=8/10 over the past 24 hours * Peripheral sensory neuropathy grade 2 or higher * Personal history of schizophrenia, or suicidal ideation or attempt within the past 2 years * Thumbnail abnormalities on either hand that are likely to alter pain perception during testing
References
Publications (1)
- RESULTHenry NL, Conlon A, Kidwell KM, Griffith K, Smerage JB, Schott AF, Hayes DF, Williams DA, Clauw DJ, Harte SE. Effect of estrogen depletion on pain sensitivity in aromatase inhibitor-treated women with early-stage breast cancer. J Pain. 2014 May;15(5):468-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2014.01.487. Epub 2014 Jan 22. PMID 24462504