Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42028994›Full record

ArticleActa oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)2026

Treatment of neuropathic pain in cancer survivors: a scoping review of pharmacological, exercise, and psychosocial interventions.

Ellen Lund Schaldemose, Bolette Skjødt Rafn, Pernille Envold Bidstrup, Agon Olloni, Katrin Schättiger, Peter Christensen, Cæcilie Borregaard Myrhøj, Maja Johannsen Lindberg, Christoffer Johansen, Sandra Jensen and 3 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Ellen Lund SchaldemoseDepartment of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark. ellen.lund.schaldemose@rsyd.dk.ORCID 0000-0002-0994-648X
Bolette Skjødt RafnDanish Cancer Society National Research Center for Cancer Survivorship and Treatment Late Effects (CASTLE), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-8269-3100
Pernille Envold BidstrupPsychological Aspects of Cancer, Danish Cancer Institute, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-9704-6800
Agon OlloniDepartment of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-9374-9034
Katrin SchättigerDepartment of Internal medicine, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, Denmark.
Peter ChristensenDanish Cancer Society National Research Centre on Survivorship and Late Adverse Effects after Cancer in Pelvic Organs, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-6611-3935
Cæcilie Borregaard MyrhøjDanish Cancer Society National Research Center for Cancer Survivorship and Treatment Late Effects (CASTLE), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Hematology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-9726-8702
Maja Johannsen LindbergDepartment of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Christoffer JohansenDepartment of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark; Danish Cancer Society National Research Center for Cancer Survivorship and Treatment Late Effects (CASTLE), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4384-206X
Sandra JensenDanish Cancer Society National Research Center for Cancer Survivorship and Treatment Late Effects (CASTLE), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-5365-951X
Ida HovdenakDepartment of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-4979-5863
Sasja Jul HåkonsenThe Danish Healthcare Quality Institute (DHQI), Aarhus, Denmark.
Lise VentzelDepartment of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-6847-0290

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeNeuropathic pain is a debilitating late effect among cancer survivors. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of pharmacological, psychological, and exercise interventions for neuropathic pain among cancer survivors and to identify further relevant research areas. Patient/material and methods: PubMed, PsychInfo, and EMBASE were systematically searched for studies published from January 2004 to January 2026 and abstract and full text screening was carried out. The target population was cancer survivors who had completed primary treatment and have no active disease. Neuropathic pain was defined as a) a mean pain intensity the last week/month of ≥ 3 at a numerical rating scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain), and b) symptoms of neuropathy, or c) neuropathic pain diagnosed by an experienced neurologist.

resultsOf the 956 systematic reviews/guidelines and 604 original studies identified, 11 pharmacological, two psychological and three studies on exercise were eligible. Most of the studies included patients with breast cancer. Duloxetine was effective in reducing neuropathic pain from painful chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and gabapentin + concomitant morphine compared to morphine alone reduced neuropathic pain in cancer survivors with neuropathic pain due to radiation therapy, and surgery. Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy showed no effect after correction for multiple comparisons. Exercise interventions were useful in both reducing neuropathic pain as well as neuropathic symptoms.

interpretationThis scoping review found evidence for pharmacological treatment of neuropathic pain in cancer survivors, could not make any conclusion on psychological treatment, and exercise interventions show promising effects. Further research on interdisciplinary treatment of neuropathic pain among cancer survivors is needed.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsExercise TherapyNeoplasmsNeuralgiaAnalgesicsFemaleHumansPain ManagementAnalgesics

Identifiers

PMID42028994
PMCPMC13127108

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.