Dissecting the Heterogeneity of Oral Cancer Pain
Primary Purpose
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Chemical sensitivity
Mechanical sensitivity
Sponsored by
About this trial
This is an interventional basic science trial for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria (oral cancer patients):
- Biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity that requires surgical resection
- Lesion is at least 1 cm in greatest surface dimension
Exclusion Criteria (oral cancer patients):
- History of prior surgical, chemotherapeutic, or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer
- Pregnancy or lactation
Inclusion Criteria (healthy subjects):
- In good general health as evidenced by medical history
Exclusion Criteria (healthy subjects):
- Clinically and/or histologically proven oral pre-cancer, oral cancer
- Pregnancy or lactation
Sites / Locations
- New York University College of DentistryRecruiting
Outcomes
Primary Outcome Measures
Mechanical Sensitivity
Pain will be evaluated using verbal feedback from participants for mechanical sensitivity testing.
Chemical Sensitivity
Pain will be evaluated using a visual analogue scale for chemical sensitivity testing.
Secondary Outcome Measures
Full Information
NCT ID
NCT05024383
First Posted
August 23, 2021
Last Updated
September 26, 2022
Sponsor
NYU College of Dentistry
1. Study Identification
Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05024383
Brief Title
Dissecting the Heterogeneity of Oral Cancer Pain
Official Title
Dissecting the Heterogeneity of Oral Cancer Pain
Study Type
Interventional
2. Study Status
Record Verification Date
September 2022
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
September 30, 2021 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
December 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
December 2025 (Anticipated)
3. Sponsor/Collaborators
Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
NYU College of Dentistry
4. Oversight
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No
5. Study Description
Brief Summary
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) produces a higher prevalence and more severe pain than all other cancers. Orofacial pain is one of the most common initial symptoms of oral cancer and often leads to the diagnosis of oral cancer. However, the character, severity, and unique features of oral cancer widely differ between patients. There is currently no effective and lasting treatment available to alleviate suffering from oral cancer pain.
A significant obstacle to effectively treating cancer pain is that the relative contributions of nociceptive mediators and their mechanisms of action (i.e., responsible receptors) are largely unknown. There is, therefore, a critical need to define the neurobiologic mechanisms responsible for oral cancer pain. Without such information, the promise of non-opioid therapy for the treatment of oral cancer pain will remain unfulfilled.
The primary objective of this study is to define and quantify the phenotype of oral cancer pain in patients, by comparing mechano- and chemosensitivity in oral cancer patients with healthy subjects. Pain will be stimulated on the site of cancer in 40 oral cancer patients and on the tongue in 40 healthy volunteers utilizing chemical sensitivity and mechanical sensitivity tests.
Detailed Description
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. The majority of patients with oral SCC suffer from severe, chronic, function-induced pain. Despite the severity of pain in many patients, the presentation of oral cancer pain is variable. Opioids are the only treatment available for oral cancer pain. Opioids are often ineffective and associated with tolerance, constipation, somnolence, respiratory depression, and addiction, which is now a national crisis.
The current hypothesis for the etiology of oral cancer pain, which is based on clinical studies utilizing questionnaires and preclinical studies, is that cancer cells and cells within the microenvironment produce mediators that activate and sensitize nociceptors. Published and preliminary data indicate that cancer-secreted mediators induce mechano- and chemosensitivity. For example, preliminary clinical studies demonstrate that oral cancer patients experience preoperative sensitivity to capsaicin (i.e., chemosensitivity) and report greater functional (i.e., mechanosensitivity) pain. Capsaicin activates transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is activated by temperatures above 43°C and endogenous lipid metabolic products. Mice deficient in TRPV1 respond to mechanical stimuli, suggesting that TRPV1 is not involved in the detection of mechanical stimulation. By contrast, TRP ankyrin repeat 1 (TRPA1), co-localized with TRPV1, is responsive to mechanical stimuli, in addition to irritants such as allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Both TRPV1 and TRPA1 have been reported to play important roles in orofacial pain. Improved knowledge of the contribution of TRPV1 and TRPA1 to oral cancer pain holds considerable promise for the development of novel, non-opioid treatment strategies that specifically address the unique pain experience of individual patients.
There is a lack of published data characterizing the sensory phenotype of tumor-related cancer pain, which has significant implications for understanding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of cancer pain. Quantitative sensory testing can provide insight into the mechanism(s) responsible for pain. In this proposal, we will test our hypothesis that the quality of pain experienced by oral cancer patients is dependent on the level of activation of specific channels on nociceptors. We will perform mechanical (von Frey testing) and chemical sensitivity tests (sensitivity to capsaicin, TRPV1 agonist, and AITC (TRPA1 agonist) on oral cancer patients, and compare the sensitivities to healthy subjects. For cancer patients, we will administer the validated University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Oral Cancer Pain Questionnaire to evaluate the correlation between mechanical and chemical thresholds with relevant aspects of pain.
We propose that the quality of pain experienced by oral cancer patients is quantifiable and dependent on the level of sensitization and activation of specific channels on nociceptors.
6. Conditions and Keywords
Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
7. Study Design
Primary Purpose
Basic Science
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Model Description
Single arm study design with group comparisons
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
80 (Anticipated)
8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Chemical sensitivity
Intervention Description
Chemical sensitivity will be evaluated with paper taste strips embedded with varying concentrations of capsaicin solutions (activates TRPV1) and allyl isothiocyanate solutions (activates TRPA1) applied to the tongues of healthy subjects and site of cancer in oral cancer patients.
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Mechanical sensitivity
Intervention Description
Mechanical sensitivity will be evaluated via von Frey filaments applied to the tongues of healthy subjects and and site of cancer in oral cancer patients.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Mechanical Sensitivity
Description
Pain will be evaluated using verbal feedback from participants for mechanical sensitivity testing.
Time Frame
Baseline visit
Title
Chemical Sensitivity
Description
Pain will be evaluated using a visual analogue scale for chemical sensitivity testing.
Time Frame
Baseline visit
10. Eligibility
Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria (oral cancer patients):
Biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity that requires surgical resection
Lesion is at least 1 cm in greatest surface dimension
Exclusion Criteria (oral cancer patients):
History of prior surgical, chemotherapeutic, or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer
Pregnancy or lactation
Inclusion Criteria (healthy subjects):
In good general health as evidenced by medical history
Exclusion Criteria (healthy subjects):
Clinically and/or histologically proven oral pre-cancer, oral cancer
Pregnancy or lactation
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Brian Schmidt, MD, DDS, PhD
Phone
212-995-4843
Email
bls322@nyu.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Caroline Sawicki, DDS, PhD
Phone
212-995-4843
Email
cs6135@nyu.edu
Facility Information:
Facility Name
New York University College of Dentistry
City
New York
State/Province
New York
ZIP/Postal Code
10010
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Brian Schmidt
Email
bls322@nyu.edu
12. IPD Sharing Statement
Citations:
PubMed Identifier
20539035
Citation
Schmidt BL, Hamamoto DT, Simone DA, Wilcox GL. Mechanism of cancer pain. Mol Interv. 2010 Jun;10(3):164-78. doi: 10.1124/mi.10.3.7.
Results Reference
background
PubMed Identifier
24664352
Citation
Schmidt BL. The neurobiology of cancer pain. Neuroscientist. 2014 Oct;20(5):546-62. doi: 10.1177/1073858414525828. Epub 2014 Mar 24.
Results Reference
background
PubMed Identifier
28044278
Citation
Yang F, Zheng J. Understand spiciness: mechanism of TRPV1 channel activation by capsaicin. Protein Cell. 2017 Mar;8(3):169-177. doi: 10.1007/s13238-016-0353-7. Epub 2017 Jan 2.
Results Reference
background
PubMed Identifier
14712238
Citation
Jordt SE, Bautista DM, Chuang HH, McKemy DD, Zygmunt PM, Hogestatt ED, Meng ID, Julius D. Mustard oils and cannabinoids excite sensory nerve fibres through the TRP channel ANKTM1. Nature. 2004 Jan 15;427(6971):260-5. doi: 10.1038/nature02282. Epub 2004 Jan 7.
Results Reference
background
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Dissecting the Heterogeneity of Oral Cancer Pain
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