title: Lidocaine 5 % patches as an effective short-term co-analgesic in cancer pain. Preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the short-term efficacy and patients' subjective perception of the use of lidocaine 5 % patches for painful scars (post-thoracotomy and post-mastectomy) and pain caused by chest wall tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective, descriptive, non-controlled, non-randomized, open-label study of patients seen in the palliative care outpatient clinic. Demographic data, variables relating to the severity of the pain, and concomitant therapy both at the start and end of treatment, the need for interventional anesthetic techniques (IAT), patients' subjective perception and treatment-related side effects were all recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients were included with a mean follow-up of 29.2 days. The treatment led to a statistically significant clinical improvement in pain severity. There was no clinically significant opioid dose escalation during the treatment period. Only three patients required IAT to relieve the pain. Sixty five percent of patients were very satisfied with the therapy. No systemic or local adverse events were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of lidocaine 5 % patches is effective in the short term for the treatment of neuropathic cancer pain accompanied by allodynia, whether deriving from a painful scar or chest wall tumor. These findings need to be confirmed by randomized controlled trials with larger samples.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Service, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain, cgrodriguez@iconcologia.net.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garzón-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casals Merchan
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calsina-Berna
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López-Rómboli
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porta-Sales
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D057968:Transdermal Patch
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; C511998:Lidoderm; D008012:Lidocaine