title: Prevalence, severity, and chronicity of pain and general health-related quality of life in patients with localized prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the prevalence and the severity spectrum of pain and its relationships to health-related quality of life and the bio-psycho-social consequences of pain among patients scheduled for radical prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urological inpatients completed an epidemiological pain questionnaire extensively exploring pre-operative acute and chronic pains in 21 body regions. The severity of pain was determined using von Korff's Pain Grading (CPGQ). Pain chronicity was estimated employing the Mainz Pain Staging System (MPSS). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were identified with the HADS and the Habitual Well-Being Questionnaire (FW-7). Health-related quality of life was measured using the SF-12. Comorbidities and comorbidity-related interferences with daily activities were ascertained with the Weighted Illness Checklist (WICL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty of 115 patients (69.6%) reported about pain during the last 3 months pre-operatively. 28.7% of the pain patients had pain related to urological disease. Severe dysfunctional pain was identified by pain Grades 3 and 4 of the CPGQ in 20% and 13.8%, respectively. Advanced pain chronicity characterized by pain Stages II and III of the MPSS was present in 38.8% and 11.3%. Patients with localized prostate cancer without pain complaints had significantly better health-related quality of life and habitual well-being and lower anxiety and depression scores and fewer comorbidities. Patients with cancer-related and non-cancer pain did not differ in pain chronicity, pain severity, pain intensities, anxiety, comorbidities and physical health (SF12-PCS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence of severe and chronic pain in cancer patients before scheduled radical prostatectomy--combined with considerable disability effects and markedly reduced quality of life necessitate a short routine screening-analysis of the severity spectrum of pain and psychopathology. Patient self-rated pain chronicity staging and psychological distress analysis will allow a disorder severity-guided treatment and the prevention of suffering and additional new chronic post-surgical pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany. h-j.gerbershagen@uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gerbershagen
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozgür
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Straub
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dagtekin
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerbershagen
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petzke
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidenreich
authors.forename: Klaus A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sabatowski
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics