title: The incidence of neuropathic pain in bone metastases patients referred for palliative radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients with symptomatic bone metastases referred for palliative radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of patients with symptomatic bone metastases was conducted. Patients referred for palliative radiotherapy completed the Self-Reported Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) questionnaire to assess for neuropathic pain. Patient demographics, medication use, and radiotherapy prescribed were collected. Statistical approaches to identify relationships between the presence of neuropathic and other patient factors were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  62 patients completed the S-LANSS and 16 (25.8%) patients had a score suggesting neuropathic pain. Fifty-nine (95.2%) patients received radiotherapy with total of 81 sites treated, the most common sites were spine and pelvis. No statistically significant difference in fractionation was found between patients with and without neuropathic pain. Of the 16 patients with neuropathic pain, only 2 were receiving a neuropathic specific analgesic. No significant difference between demographic factors or radiation treatments between patients with and without neuropathic pain was found. There was no significant difference in worst pain score between these two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain with neuropathic features remains prevalent in a population of patients referred for palliative radiotherapy. More frequent prescription of pain medications targeting neuropathic pain may be warranted in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Breanne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Danjoux
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeAngelis
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Sherlyn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vuong
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Vithusha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.affiliation: Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: Edward.Chow@sunnybrook.ca.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Bone metastases; Neuropathic pain; Radiotherapy