This article reports the outcomes of a sub-analysis of United Kingdom (UK) data collected during a noninterventional,cross-sectional study conducted in five European countries. The primary aim was to estimate the prevalenceof cancer-related neuropathic pain (CRNP) in an outpatient sample of adult cancer patients visiting oncology clinicsin the UK for standard care. Secondary aims were to report the nature and characteristics of the cancer and the pain in thepatients with CRNP. This sub-analysis also assessed the usefulness of the PainDETECT screening tool as an aid for physiciansin identifying the neuropathic component of cancer-related pain in daily practice. Based on physicians’ clinicaljudgment before reviewing the scores on the PainDETECT tool, the estimated number of outpatients with cancer experiencingchronic pain and considered to have CRNP was 104 of 195 patients (53.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 46.3%-60.3%). After reviewing patients’ scores on the tool, the estimate was 90 of 195 patients (46.2%; 95% CI: 39.2%-53.2%).Physicians changed from a positive (yes) to a negative (no) diagnosis of CRNP for 16 of 127 patients who had a lowPainDETECT end score (<13; indicating that neuropathic pain was unlikely). Of the 11 physicians who completed theusefulness of PainDETECT survey, eight indicated that they would use the questionnaire in future for at least some oftheir patients, although they also indicated that in the majority of cases (63%), the PainDETECT tool did not help themevaluate whether a patient had CRNP. Because of missing data arising from missing or incomplete survey responses,however, these data should be interpreted with caution, and further studies are required to assess the usefulness of thistool.
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