Neuropathic Pain After Lung Surgery

Pain and loss of function are intimately associated with the reaction of the nervous system to neural damage. A lesion to the somatosensory nervous system caused by mechanical trauma, metabolic disease, neurotoxic chemicals, infection or tumor invasion may give rise to neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain affects around 8% of the population and may negatively impact the individual's quality of life; moreover, the condition leads to significant costs to the healthcare system and society. Not all subjects with such a lesion develop neuropathic pain, and those who do develop neuropathic pain have varying degrees of symptom severity, impact and outcomes and may respond unpredictably to treatment. The interaction between genetics and environmental and clinical factors in a susceptible individual most likely contribute to the variation in pain prevalence and severity. A better understanding of the exact nature of these risk factors and their interactions will ultimately improve the patients' health, both in terms of recognizing patients at risk and identifying new treatment modalities. Genetic, neurophysiological and psychological factors all influence the risk of developing persistent pain. It is therefore possible to describe a genetic, neurophysiological and psychological profile, in particular in patients experiencing neuropathic pain after surgery and/or neurotoxic chemotherapy.