Pain in cancer survivors; filling in the gaps

Abstract

Cancer survivorship represents a growing clinical challenge for pain clinicians. The population of cancer survivors is rapidly expanding and many of these patients experience pain as a sequelae of their disease and its treatment. The features, pathophysiology and natural history of some painful conditions observed in cancer survivors, such as direct tumour effects, cancer induced bone pain (CIBP) or chronic post-surgical pain have received extensive exposure elsewhere in the literature. In this narrative review, we attempt to 'fill in the gaps' in the knowledge, by providing a succinct outline of a range of less well known pain states encountered in the cancer survivor population. These include neuropathies as a result of graft versus host disease (GVHD), novel chemotherapeutic agents and monoclonal antibodies (mAb), and radiation induced pain states. The increasing prevalence of visceral post-surgical pain and aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) is also detailed. Additionally an overview of suggested approaches to the assessment of pain in cancer survivors is provided and potential treatment strategies, with a focus on novel approaches are discussed.

Keywords: cancer; cancer-related pain; intractable; pain; pain management; therapy.