Such interventions would have the potential to reduce the prevalence of chronic pain in the population .
Although certain risk factors can identify individuals who are most likely to develop chronic pain , few interventions to prevent chronic pain have been identified .
To facilitate the identification of preventive interventions , an IMMPACT meeting was convened to discuss research design considerations for clinical trials investigating the prevention of chronic pain .
We present general design considerations for prevention trials in population s that are at relatively high risk for developing chronic pain .
Neuroprotective effect of vitamin E supplementation in patients treated with cisplatin chemotherapy.
PURPOSE The aim of this study is to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of antioxidant supplementation with vitamin E in patients treated with cisplatin chemotherapy .  METHODS Between April 1999 and October 2000 , forty-seven patients were r and omly assigned to either group one , which received vitamin E supplementation during cisplatin chemotherapy , or to group two , which received cisplatin chemotherapy alone . Alpha-tocopherol ( vitamin E ; 300 mg/d ) was administered orally before cisplatin chemotherapy and continued for 3 months after the suspension of treatment . For pre clinical studies , nude mice carrying the human melanoma tumor were treated with cisplatin alone or in combination with vitamin E. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients completed six cycles of cisplatin chemotherapy : 13 patients in group one and 14 patients in group two . The incidence of neurotoxicity was significantly lower in group one ( 30.7 % ) than it was in group two ( 85.7 % ; P < .01 ) . The severity of neurotoxicity , measured with a comprehensive neurotoxicity score based on clinical and neurophysiological parameters , was significantly lower in patients who were supplemented with vitamin E than in patients who were not supplemented with vitamin E ( 2 v 4.7 , P < .01 ) . The results of the pre clinical studies showed that when cisplatin was combined with vitamin E , no differences were observed in tumor weight inhibition , tumor growth delay , or life span as compared with treatment with cisplatin alone . CONCLUSION Supplementation of patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy  with vitamin E decreases the incidence and severity of peripheral neurotoxicity
Such interventions would have the potential to reduce the prevalence of chronic pain in the population .
Although certain risk factors can identify individuals who are most likely to develop chronic pain , few interventions to prevent chronic pain have been identified .
To facilitate the identification of preventive interventions , an IMMPACT meeting was convened to discuss research design considerations for clinical trials investigating the prevention of chronic pain .
We present general design considerations for prevention trials in population s that are at relatively high risk for developing chronic pain .