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Review
. 2014 Feb 3:6:10.
doi: 10.12703/P6-10. eCollection 2014.

Recent advances in cancer pain management

James Wilson  1 , Catherine Stack  2 , Joan Hester  2
Affiliations
Review

Recent advances in cancer pain management

James Wilson et al. F1000Prime Rep. .

Abstract

Pain is the most feared symptom of cancer. New oncological cancer treatments are improving survival, but advanced cancer presents challenges that have not been seen before, often with pain that is very difficult to manage because of a recurrent tumour that is invading the central nervous system. In some of the older interventional techniques of destroying nerve pathways, expertise has diminished or has been deemed unnecessary with the development of specialist palliative care. Not all pain is managed adequately with the analgesic ladder. Knowledge of pain mechanisms, careful assessment and selection of the right technique at the right time will enhance cancer pain management. New techniques include intrathecal drug therapy, vertebroplasty, cordotomy, ultra-sound guided nerve blocks, neuromodulation and advances in drug therapies.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Intrathecal pump (Medtronic Ltd.)
Battery powered fully programmable intrathecal pump.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Personal Therapy Manager (PTM)
Wal is pictured in his garden with his PTM remote control (with permission).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Vertebroplasty to a thoracic vertebral osteolytic lesion
Credit, Dr Arun Bhaskar, with permission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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