Reis-Pina P, et al. - This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, associated psychological distress, pre-referral treatment, and predictors of cancer pain with a neuropathic pain component (NPC) in patients referred to a cancer pain clinic. The authors concluded that 1 in 3 patients with cancer had a NPC, which was seen to be independently correlated with recent chemotherapy, surgery, adjuvant analgesic use, episodic incident and breakthrough pain, longer pain duration, higher pain intensity and pelvic or perineal pain location.

For this study, participants had standard assessments and documentation: Brief Pain Inventory ratings; presence of a NPC, based on a DN4 (neuropathic pain screening scale) score ≥4 combined with a physician’s clinical assessment (blinded to DN4 result); the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and Emotional Thermometer scores.
• The authors used logistic regression analyses to determine predictors associated with a NPC.

• In this study, 120 participants (32.3%) had a designated NPC among 371 study participants.
• Except for a HADS <7 score that was proportionately higher (74% vs 63%, p=0.03) in the nociceptive group, psychological distress indices were similar in the NPC and nociceptive pain groups.
• The final multivariable logistic regression model produced the following NPC predictors and their respective odds ratios and (95% confidence intervals): recent chemotherapy, 2.93 (1.63-5.26); recent surgery, 3.65 (2.03-6.59); adjuvant analgesic use, 2.93 (1.66-5.17); episodic incident pain, 2.63 (1.44-4.84); episodic breakthrough pain, 3.67 (2.00-6.73); pain duration ≥ 3 months, 2.35 (1.36-4.06); higher pain intensity, 1.47 (1.24-1.74); and pelvic or perineal pain location, 2.75 (1.09-6.96).