Neuropathic pain in breast cancer survivors: using the ID pain as a screening tool

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a debilitating symptom experienced by a number of patients with cancer. We evaluated the validity of ID Pain as a screening tool for NP in breast cancer survivors using the Self-Report Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) and a reported diagnosis of NP as criterion measures. Two hundred forty breast cancer survivors with a mean age of 58 years (standard deviation=16) participated in this survey. Forty-five percent of the sample reported having pain in the past week. Of those reporting pain, 33% reported that they had been diagnosed by their health care provider with NP, 39% had a positive ID Pain (> or = 2) score, and 19% had a positive S-LANSS score. The most commonly endorsed ID Pain item was "hot/burning" (n=48) followed by feeling "numb" (n=47) and "pins and needles" (n=45). Total ID Pain score was significantly associated with a clinical diagnosis of NP (r=0.41; P<0.001) and the S-LANSS total score (r=0.54; P<0.001). Receiver operating curve analysis demonstrated that ID Pain has a predictive validity of 0.72 and 0.70 for diagnosis of NP as made by clinicians and the S-LANSS, respectively. We also found that an ID Pain score greater than or equal to 2 corresponded with the likelihood of NP in this sample, consistent with the original ID Pain development study. This study provides evidence for ID Pain as a valid screening measure for NP in breast cancer survivors.