Acute Pain Syndromes in Cancer

Cancer requires appropriate assessment (diagnostic interventions), treatment interventions (hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery) or palliative symptom management [1,3]. These all interventions may lead to acute pain syndrome including neuropathies due to injuries to nerves during surgical intervention, acute neurotoxicity due to chemotherapeutic agents and acute radiation induced injuries (Table 1). The severity of these pain syndromes depend on the site and extent of the tumor mass. The prevention and timely management of these acute pain syndromes is essential as any sort of acute pain in cancer patients induces neuronal remodelling and sensitization which finally may translate in chronic pain leading to poor quality of life [4]. In fact, acute pain should be red flag for ongoing tissue injury leading to nociceptive and neural compromise [4,5]. These syndromes have a complex outcome and involve a complex conglomeration of physiological, emotional, cognitive, social, and environmental factors.