Periprocedural Wound Complication Risks in Cancer Pain Patients Following Targeted Cancer Therapy: A Retrospective...

In light of the increasing use of advanced operative procedures for cancer pain, it is crucial for pain physicians to understand the unique potential risks associated with multimodal cancer treatments.

We aimed to characterize the periprocedural wound healing risk associated with newer targeted cancer therapies in cancer pain patients.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients 18 years or older undergoing operative procedures for cancer-related pain. The treatment group comprised patients on targeted cancer therapies, and the control group comprised patients not on these treatments. A generalized estimating equations model was used to compare the risk of wound-related complications between groups. A total of 195 encounters were identified in 150 patients. Wound-related complications occurred in 4/44 (9.1%) encounters in the treatment group and 3/151 (2.0%) in the control group. The treatment group had higher odds of wound-related complications (OR: 7.41, 95% CI: 1.36-40.40; p = 0.02). Higher BMI, diabetes, and concurrent steroid use also contributed to a higher risk of wound-related complications.

Our study suggests that concurrent targeted cancer therapies may be associated with an increased risk of wound-related complications, although the estimate is imprecise given a heterogeneous cohort and a small number of events. It is essential for pain physicians to understand the potential risks associated with these cancer treatments and to collaborate with oncologists in the periprocedural period to optimize patient care.