Early Detection of Taxane-Induced Neuropathy in Women With Breast Cancer

Purpose: The study has four aims; * The primary aim of the study is to determine whether women who are receiving either weekly Taxol (80-100 mg/m2) or bi-weekly Taxol (i.e.,dose-dense; 175 mg/m2) show deficits in axon-reflex mediated vasodilation (AMV) over the course of six weeks of Taxol therapy similar to those that have been reported in patients with diabetic and genetically-inherited neuropathies. * The second aim of the study is to determine whether women who are receiving either weekly or dose-dense Taxol develop changes in AMV before developing signs \& symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in a way that supports using changes in AMV as an early detection method for small-fiber CIPN. * A third (exploratory) aim of the study is to determine whether any changes in AMV detected during the study are significantly correlated with self-reported CIPN in a way that would support using changes in AMV as a confirmatory marker for CIPN. * A final (exploratory) aim of the study is to describe the size of axon reflexes and axon flares in women receiving weekly Taxol before they start their pre-Taxol anthracycline \& cyclophosphamide (AC) therapy.