EPIDEMIOLOGY OF NEUROPATHIC CHRONIC PAIN IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS

The aim of the study was to analyze the primary prevalence of chronic neuropathic pain syndrome in oncology patients of Karaganda (Kazakhstan), to estimate the structure of pain syndrome in randomly chosen patients, to assess the effectiveness of analgesic therapy in oncology patients. All the patients with confirmed cancer admitted to hospital in Karaganda regional oncologic dispensary were studied. The study period was limited to 60 consecutive days. The results were statistically processed using 6.0 «STATISTICA» program. In 11,2±1,6% of the cases, oncology patients that got combined modality treatment suffered from the chronic neuropathic pain syndrome; 66,7±7,3% patients of them had the III cancer stage. 2. While studying the chronic neuropathic pain structure it was revealed that: 52,4±7,7% of the patients suffered from a mild pain, from average - 38,1±7,5% of the patients, from severe pain - 9,5±4,5%. Neuropathic pain syndrome in the form of numbness occurred in 47,6±7,7% of the respondents, tingling - in 38,1±7,5% of the patients and 14,3±5,4% of the respondents described it as «electric shock». 52,4±7,7% of the patients described temperature changes of the skin, 28,6±7,0% of them told about allodynia. The given pain can be correctly diagnosed on rare occasions. It brings about the low efficiency of currently prescribed standard pain treatment. It was 20%-effective only for ¼ of the patients. In sum, it can be brought into focus that each 10th oncology patient of the II clinical group in Kazakhstan may potentially suffer from the chronic neuropathic pain syndrome. The given syndrome in cancer patients requires selective differential diagnostics and constant management of the pain treatment regimen because of occurrence of standard regimens incapacity, progression of tolerance to the actual pain treatment and significant deterioration of oncology patients' life quality.