RATIONALE: Gathering information over time from patients receiving paclitaxel for cancer may help doctors learn more about pain caused by paclitaxel and plan the best treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying acute pain caused by paclitaxel in patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• To describe the incidence and characteristics of and change in pain related to paclitaxel infusions over several courses in patients receiving paclitaxel weekly or every 2-4 weeks with or without neurotoxic chemotherapy.
• To investigate the association between paclitaxel-induced acute pain syndrome symptoms and eventual chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.
• To perform exome-sequencing analysis and identify genetic variants that predict paclitaxel- induced peripheral neuropathy.
• To identify clinical phenotypes associated with paclitaxel toxicity (i.e., acute pain syndrome and neuropathy).
• To explore whether there are any evident differences between results seen in the majority Caucasian population and the minority populations.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are grouped according to paclitaxel dosing schedule (weekly vs every 2-4 weeks) and concurrent use of neurotoxic agent (yes vs no).

Blood samples are collected at baseline for correlative laboratory studies, including genetic biomarker and polymorphism studies.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of cancer

• Planning to receive paclitaxel IV (excluding paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation [nab-paclitaxel]) according to one of the following dosing schedules:

  • At least 175 mg/m^2 at 2-4 week intervals (course duration of 2, 3, or 4 weeks, respectively)
  • 70-90 mg/m^2 weekly (3 out of 4 weeks allowed)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy > 6 months
• Able to complete questionnaires (alone or with assistance)
• Willing to provide required biological specimens
• No prior or concurrent peripheral neuropathy (from diabetes or other causes)
• No prior or concurrent fibromyalgia

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior paclitaxel or neurotoxic chemotherapy drugs, including other taxanes, platinum agents, vinca alkaloids, or epothilones
• No concurrent neutrophil colony-stimulating factor therapy

Patients diagnosed with cancer who are planning to receive paclitaxel IV at least 175 mg/m^2 at 2-4 week intervals (course duration of 2, 3, or 4 weeks, respectively) or 70-90 mg/m^2 weekly (3 out of 4 weeks allowed).