Fazzari J, Sidhu J, Motkur S, et al. - In view of the challenges encountered in managing cancer-induced bone pain resulting from metastasis of cancers originating in the breast, lung, and prostate to the bone, researchers conducted an exploratory study investigating the potential biomarkers linked with cancer-induced pain via analyzing a sample population of breast cancer patients undergoing bisphosphonate therapy. They performed a secondary analysis of the primary study and identified nine cytokines (GM-CSF, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-12p70, IL-17A, and IL-23) that showed significant negative associations with pain scores. Pain severity was best predicted with these cytokines through a predictive equation generated for this specific evaluation. After performing a correlation analysis between these factors and a larger panel of cytokines and chemokines, distinct correlation profiles were noted in samples from breast, lung, and prostate patients. This indicates the clinical challenge of applying pain-associated cytokines related to more defined nociceptive states, such as arthritis, to a cancer pain state. This work supports performing exploratory analysis to expand insights into potential cancer-specific nociceptive mechanisms and to generate novel therapeutics.