Postoperative pain and quality of life after lung cancer surgery: a prospective observational study

We aimed to identify the factors associated with postoperative pain, quality of life, and development of chronic pain after lung cancer surgery, including pain sensation threshold, fentanyl sensitivity, and surgical procedures.

We conducted a single-center prospective observational study involving lung cancer patients. Brief pain inventory, including nine items concerning pain and quality of life, was investigated at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. Pain sensation threshold and fentanyl sensitivity were assessed preoperatively.

Of the 146 patients who were enrolled, 100 who met our criteria were analyzed. Thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 42 patients and minimally invasive thoracotomy in 58 patients. Pain sensation threshold and fentanyl sensitivity were normally distributed among the patients and were not significantly associated with brief pain inventory scores at each postoperative time-point. The average pain score 1 week after the operation was significantly higher in the thoracotomy group than in the thoracoscopic surgery group (P<0.050). The worst pain scores did not differ between the groups at all the examination periods. Pain sensation threshold, fentanyl sensitivity, and surgical procedures were not related to the incidence of post-thoracotomy pain syndrome.

Individual pain sensation threshold and fentanyl sensitivity were not associated with subjective postoperative pain score, quality of life score, or development of post-thoracotomy pain syndrome.