Grant: Operating Grant

Chronic neuropathic pain is a common problem for breast cancer survivors. Even with the best medical treatments, some survivors continue to experience disabling pain. It is well-established that an interdisciplinary approach is key to the treatment of chronic pain, but little research has been performed on the effectiveness of this approach for cancer survivors with chronic neuropathic pain. We will evaluate the effectiveness of such a program combining medical treatment and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) to reduce disability and improve quality of life among breast cancer survivors with chronic neuropathic pain. The benefits of mindfulness training on neuropathic pain among cancer survivors will be assessed in 108 women survivors of breast cancer with neuropathic pain who will be randomly assigned to either medical treatment only or medical treatment with an 8-week MBSR program. We will compare the proportion of participants who experience a substantial reduction in pain-related disability in each group. We will also investigate whether participating in MBSR results in reduced stress hormones and changes in immune system activity as has been found in previous studies with other groups.