Background: Information on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of breakthrough pain (BTP) in cancer patients is very limited. Primary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of BTP in patients with cancer pain. Secondary objectives included the description of clinical characteristics of the patients with BTP, and evaluate the impact on quality of life.
Methods: Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional, multidisciplinary study. For evaluating the prevalence of BTP all patients seen at the clinic during 1-month were recorded. In characterization study adult patients with oncologic pain adequately controlled with opioids that meet criteria of BTP (Davies’ algorithm) and not receiving treatment for BTP were included.
Results: A total of 3765 patients were seen at 32 sites by 43 specialists. Over 1117 patients with cancer-related pain, 539 had BTP (48%, 95%CI, 45 to 51). In characterization study 207 patients were included. The pain was most frequently described as a brief flare-up to baseline pain (53%), of severe intensity (83%) and qualitatively described as stabbing (58%). Between the different types of pain, the pain described as successive pain peaks of gradually decreasing intensity showed greater intensity (median BPI score: 6.6) and interference (median BPI score: 7.9), and worst quality of life (mean 25.9 and 31.0 in the physical and mental components of SF-12).
Conclusions: In the Spanish setting there is a high prevalence of BTP among patients exhibiting cancer-related pain. BTP has an important impact on patient’s functionality, which supports the need for an early detection that could help to provide orientation for pain management.

PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BREAKTHROUGH PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER IN SPAIN: THE CARPE-DIO STUDY