Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate preoperative pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) for predicting post-thoracotomy
pain in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
Methods: We previously conducted a randomized open control trial that was published under the title “Is early postoperative administration of pregabalin beneficial for patients with lung cancer?” This is a report of analysis of that trial’s secondary endpoint using PCS. PCS were obtained before surgery, on 1 and 7 days and at 1 and 3 months after surgery.
Results: The study cohort comprised 67 patients. Postoperative pain scored on a numeric rating scale (NRS) was significantly
less 3 months after surgery (p25) PCS score group of 35 according to the median preoperative PCS score. None of the assessed patient characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index, type of surgical procedure and lymph node dissection, operation time, bleeding, duration of chest tube insertion, and consumption of analgesia differed significant between these groups. The NRS scores on postoperative day 1 (p=0.33), day 7 (p=0.50), 1 month (p=0.31) and 3 months (p=0.18) did not differ significantly between the groups. Multiple logistic regression analyses was performed to predict the postoperative significant pain intensity (NRS≧3) at any postoperative period found that preoperative PCS was not the significant factor.
Conclusions: PCS scores did not predict acute or chronic postoperative thoracotomy pain
