Summary
Project Summary Oral cancer pain is more severe than all other cancers. Patients with metastatic oral cancer experience the greatest pain. Oral cancers activate neurons and produce pain; however, the effect of nociceptors on oral cancer is largely unknown. The mechanisms of reciprocal interaction between oral cancer and neurons, and how the interactions promote cancer and pain, are not known. The long-term goal is to improve management of oral cancer patients and obviate opioids by identifying components of the cancer microenvironment that are viable targets to treat cancer and oral cancer pai
