Assessment of cancer pain in patients with breast, pancreatic, lung, colon or prostate cancer. Signs and Symptoms
Conditions
Interventions
This study will measure different variables (pain biomarkers and moderating variables) at a single time point (baseline
cross-sectional study) to compare cancer patients with cancer pain and those without pain and characterize and profile cancer patients with refractory pain (case versus control).
This study attempts
Sponsors
University of Santiago de Compostela
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 110 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Cancer patients with pain: 1. Adult subjects = 18 years old 2. Able to provide informed consent to participate in the study 3. Able to self-report pain 4. To have a diagnosis of cancer affecting the lung, breast, pancreas, colon or prostate (with metastases or not) 5. The life expectancy of at least six months 6. Cancer pain persisting despite best-tolerated pharmacological treatment 7. Pain rated =5 on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) persisting for over 1 month prior to enrolment 8. Ability to use the internet and WhatsApp or have a person (relative, caregiver) to help them Cancer patients with no pain: 1. Adult subjects = 18 years old 2. Able to provide informed consent to participate in the study 3. Able to self-report pain 4. To have a diagnosis of cancer affecting the lung, breast, pancreas, colon or prostate (with metastases or not) 5. The life expectancy of at least six months 6. No chronic pain after cancer disease or treatment 7. Ability to use the internet and WhatsApp or have a person (relative, caregiver) to help them
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Current key exclusion criteria as of 27/02/2026: Cancer patients with pain: 1. Pregnant women or women of fertile age who did not have efficacious contraception during the whole period of the study 2. Neurological or psychiatric diseases (except anxiety or depression) 3. Unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, uncompensated cardiac issues, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) 4. History of neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, and/or cortical lesions 5. Present risk factors for receiving tES (e.g., history of epilepsy, metal devices in the brain, etc.) Cancer patients with no pain: 1. Pregnant women or women of fertile age who did not have efficacious contraception during the entire period of the study. 2. Neurological or psychiatric diseases (except anxiety or depression). 3. Unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, uncompensated cardiac issues, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). 4. History of neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, and/or cortical lesions. 5. History of non-malignant chronic pain. Previous key exclusion criteria: Cancer patients with pain: 1. Pregnant women or women of fertile age who did not have efficacious contraception during the whole period of the study 2. Neurological or psychiatric diseases (except anxiety or depression) 3. Unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, uncompensated cardiac issues, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) 4. History of neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, and/or cortical lesions 5. Present risk factors for receiving tES (e.g., history of epilepsy, metal devices in the brain, etc.) 6. History of non-malignant chronic pain Cancer patients with no pain: 1. Pregnant women or women of fertile age who did not have efficacious contraception during the entire period of the study. 2. Neurological or psychiatric diseases (except anxiety or depression). 3. Unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, uncompensated cardiac issues, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). 4. History of neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, and/or cortical lesions. 5. History of non-malignant chronic pain.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Cancer pain measured using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at one timepoint | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The study team aim to assess a number of variables to characterize patients with cancer pain, comparing patients with and without pain (cases versus controls). All variables are assessed at one time point (cross-sectional study): 1. Sociodemographic and clinical variables measured using an interview 2. Clinical variables measured using data from the clinical history of the patients 3. Mood (anxiety and depression), pain, sleep quality, fatigue, pain catastrophizing, cognitive functioning (subjective complaints) and quality of life, etc. measured using questionnaires 4. Quantitative Sensory Testing biomarkers measured using a thermal contact stimulator (TCS II) and a cold plate 5. Electroencephalogram (EEG) indices measured using a portable recording system of 32 electrodes adapted for clinical use | — |
Countries
Germany, Israel, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed