Does chemo brain fuel lasting pain? researchers track 182 women to find out

NCT ID NCT07877376

NEW Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Nadine ATTAL Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Oct 16, 2026 · Last updated Oct 16, 2026

Summary

Many women treated for breast cancer report lasting pain and fuzzy thinking after chemotherapy, but researchers have not studied whether the two are connected. This study follows 182 women with non-metastatic, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer from before chemotherapy through six months after it ends. Participants complete memory, attention, and processing-speed tests plus pain questionnaires at three points over a year. The goal is to see whether women with measurable cognitive impairment are more likely to develop chronic pain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: cognitive function testing (memory, attention, and processing speed tasks)
What this could lead to: If a link emerges between chemo-related cognitive problems and chronic pain, doctors could one day screen for thinking changes to flag women at higher risk of lasting pain and tailor their care.
What could go wrong: This is an observational study, so it can show a pattern but cannot prove that cognitive impairment causes pain. Other factors such as mood, sleep, and fatigue could explain any connection, and the findings may not apply to other cancer types or treatments.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 182 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2026

Expected to finish

Mar 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Female patients with non-metastatic, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who had not received chemotherapy prior to study enrollment, in order to avoid pre-existing cognitive impairment related to the neurotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Patients will be enrolled in the adjuvant setting following surgery and received a standardized treatment sequence consisting of surgery, anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy. Participant recruitment will be conducted by Dr. Marie Péchard (Investigator), Pain Specialist and Consultant Physician at the Comprehensive Cancer Center (Institut Curie, Saint-Cloud, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine). Participants will be recruited consecutively.

Ages

35 to 65 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria: * Female patients aged 35 to 65 years * Signed informed consent * Affiliated with the French social security system or entitled beneficiary * Able to read and understand French * Willing to participate and able to comply with study procedures * Diagnosed with non-metastatic, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer * No prior chemotherapy exposure * Adjuvant treatment setting after surgery) * Receiving the same treatment sequence: surgery, chemotherapy (anthracycline- and taxane-based regimens), radiotherapy, and hormone therapy. Exclusion criteria: * Central nervous system disorders * MMSE score \<26 assessed by the psychologist at the beginning of the inclusion visit (post-inclusion exclusion criterion if MMSE \<26) * Use of tricyclic antidepressants at doses ≥75 mg/day; benzodiazepines or antipsychotics * Morbid obesity * Psychiatric disorders (psychosis, major depressive episode, according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as assessed by the MINI, or history of suicide attempt) * Alcohol, drug, or psychoactive substance abuse (DSM-5 definition) within the past six months * Persistent or intermittent chronic pain conditions (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome) prior to inclusion * Cognitive or psychological disorders incompatible with protocol adherence and/or comprehension * Ongoing legal dispute or compensation-seeking process * Protected persons as defined in Articles L.1121-5 to L.1121-8 of the French Public Health Code: pregnant or breastfeeding women, prisoners or individuals under judicial or administrative detention, individuals receiving psychiatric care, minors, or adults under legal protection or unable to provide informed consent

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm Chronic Pain Cognitive Dysfunction hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Breast cancer

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Does chemo brain fuel lasting pain? researchers track 182 women to find out

What the study statuses mean