Psychophysical Studies of Cancer Therapy Pain

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.