A Case Control Study to Define Clinical, Immunologic and Radiographic Features of the Aromatase Inhibitor Arthralgia Syndrome

This study is for women with post-menopausal breast cancer and hand pain. Patients do not need to be taking aromatase inhibitors to be eligible for the study. We want to study the joint findings in patients with hand pain and breast cancer undergoing treatment with aromatase inhibitor medications and compare them to patients with hand pain and breast cancer not treated with these medications.

Aromatase inhibitor drugs are used in certain types of breast cancer to reduce the risk of cancer returning after treatment. One of the side effects of aromatase inhibitors is the development of joint pain, a complication known as the Arthralgia Syndrome. The cause of the Arthralgia Syndrome is not known, but we suspect that the pain may be due to inflammation in the joints. Currently, the only effective treatment is to stop the aromatase inhibitor, and so affected patients may miss out on an otherwise useful treatment to prevent return of their cancer.

Post-menopausal patients with breast cancer and hand pain can enroll in the study. Patients will be asked to come for a separate visit which will take about half a day.

Inclusion criteria

• Postmenopausal women aged over 18 with stage I-III breast cancer undergoing treatment at the Lombardi Cancer Center.
• Presence of hand pain
• No active signs of ongoing malignant disease

Exclusion criteria

• Known autoimmune disease for example, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, or seronegative arthritis.
• Age <18
• Unable to complete informed consent process