Quality of Life and Neuropathic Pain in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: A Comparative Analysis of Patients in Palliative Care Wards Versus Those in General Wards

CONTEXT: While the survival of cancer patients is prolonged due to the development of new treatment strategies and advancing technologies, the prevalence of symptoms such as neuropathic pain affecting the quality of life is also increasing. AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between neuropathic pain (NP) and quality of life in hospitalized cancer patients and to compare patients in general wards and those in palliative care wards in terms of NP and quality of life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 156 patients, 53 cancer patients hospitalized in the palliative care unit and 103 cancer patients hospitalized in general wards, were included in the study. The Douleur Neuropathic 4 test was used for NP assessment, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and Short Form of Brief Pain Inventory (SF-BPI) were used for assessing pain characteristics and their effects on quality of life. RESULTS: NP was present in 39.7% of cases and nociceptive pain (NP) was present in 32.7% of cases. There were no complaints of pain 27.6% of cases. The patients with no pain complaint were excluded, 54.9% of the patients had NP and 45.1% had NS. The scores of BFI, HAD-depression, ESAS overall, and ESAS tiredness were significantly lower in patients with NP treated general wards compared to patients with NP in the palliative care wards (P < 0.05). Cancer patients with NP in general wards had significantly higher scores of SF-BPI effect, SF-BPI severity, ESAS overall, ESAS pain, ESAS tiredness, ESAS nausea, ESAS appetite, and ESAS well-being as compared to those of general cancer patients with NS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Since there was a homogeneous distribution among the groups in terms of both cancer treatment and pain management, we directly related the deterioration of the patients’ quality of life to NP.