title: The Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain in Terminally Ill Patients With Cancer Admitted to a Palliative Care Unit: A Prospective Observational Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective observational study, terminally ill patients with cancer having NP were identified by a pain management clinician using the diagnostic algorithm of NP from the International Association for the Study of Pain on the day of admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 220 patients who were hospitalized in the palliative care unit were enrolled in this study. The median survival times were 21.5 days (range, 0-173 days), and 57.7% of patients were male. Among the 220 patients, 41 (18.6%; 95% confidence interval, 13.5%-23.8%) developed NP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of NP in terminally ill patients with cancer in Japanese palliative care units was 18.6%.
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Kanagawa, Japan b4yokohama@yahoo.co.jp.
authors: Shinsuke
authors: S
authors: Harada
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Fumihiko
authors: F
authors: Tamura
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Shuhei
authors: S
authors: Ota
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: cancer pain; neuropathic pain; nociceptive pain; palliative care unit; prevalence; terminally ill patient with cancer