Widespread distribution and altered pain processing in head and neck cancer survivors at long-term after treatment

• Published in: Supportive care in cancer 2023-07, Vol.31 (7), p.394-394, Article 394
• Main Authors: Hernández, Sofía Hernández, Guía, Vanessa Gabriela Jerviz, Núñez, Javier Martín, Ciuró, Alejandro Heredia, Otero, Alba Navas, Mohedo, Esther Díaz, Valenza, Marie Carmen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer survivors; Care and treatment; Chronic Pain; Development and progression; Head & neck cancer; Head and neck cancer; Head and Neck Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nursing; Nursing Research; Oncology; Pain; Pain Management; Pain Medicine; Pain Threshold; Physiology; Quality of Life; Quantitative analysis; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Rehabilitation Medicine; Side effects; Survivor
• ISSN: 0941-4355; 1433-7339
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-07846-9

Purpose Radiotherapy (RT) treatment in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients may induce long-term sequels as pain, which nowadays is not fully understand. Therefore, there is a need of characterization of pain features in HNC to enhance after oncology treatment management. Head and neck cancer survivors develop chronic pain after radiotherapy treatment. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the presence of pain, pain distribution, and pain processing by means of patient reported outcomes and quantitative sensory testing. Methods Pain pressure threshold (PPT), temporal summation (TS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Widespread Pain Index (WPI), The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and EuroQol5D5L were assessed in 20 head and neck cancer survivors (sHNC) and 20 health-related sex and age-matched controls. Results The sHNC present lower PPT values in both the affected and non-affected side than did the healthy controls, especially in the widespread pain in the body, an altered TS in both affected and non-affected side and lower scores in quality of life and arm dysfunction. Conclusions Following radiotherapy treatment after 1 year, sHNC present widespread pain, hypersensitivity in the radiated area, altered pain processing, upper limb affection, and a QoL diminution. These data provide evidence that a peripheral and central sensitization is happening in sHNC. Future efforts should focus on preventing pain after oncologic treatment. The comprehension about pain and its features in sHNC enhance health professional understanding and allows to tailor an optimal patient-targeted pain treatment.