[Treatment of persistent postmastectomy pain with 5% Lidocaine medicated plaster]

Persistent postmastectomy pain (PPMP) syndrome is characterized by neuropathic pain that develops following surgery in breast cancer patients. The reported incidence of PPMP ranges between 30% and 50% and is estimated to increase as the number of women surviving cancer continues to rise. Though effective, today's drug treatments are poorly tolerated, limiting their use and reducing adherence to therapy. Since neuropathic pain is localized, international guidelines suggest that topical treatment with 5% Lidocaine medicated plaster either alone or combined with systemic drugs can be considered for pain management. In this retrospective study we reviewed the medical records of 11 patients treated with 5% lidocaine medicated plaster for moderate-to-severe PPMP at our institute between November 2013 and October 2014. Analysis showed that treatment with 5% Lidocaine medicated plaster, either alone or in combination with systemic drugs, achieved significant pain control already after the first week of therapy. The effectiveness and tolerability of 5% Lidocaine medicated plaster we observed suggests that it is a viable option in the management of PPMP.