Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?

Ece Esin, Suayib Yalcin Medical Oncology Department, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey Abstract: Cancer pain is a serious health problem, and imposes a great burden on the lives of patients and their families. Pain can be associated with delay in treatment, denial of treatment,...

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Main Authors: Esin E, Yalcin S
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2014-04-01
Series:OncoTargets and Therapy
Online Access:http://www.dovepress.com/neuropathic-cancer-pain-what-we-are-dealing-with-how-to-manage-it-a16520
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spelling doaj-afccac723bd147549b9c91098a63ec472020-11-24T22:56:05ZengDove Medical PressOncoTargets and Therapy1178-69302014-04-012014default59961816520Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?Esin EYalcin S Ece Esin, Suayib Yalcin Medical Oncology Department, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey Abstract: Cancer pain is a serious health problem, and imposes a great burden on the lives of patients and their families. Pain can be associated with delay in treatment, denial of treatment, or failure of treatment. If the pain is not treated properly it may impair the quality of life. Neuropathic cancer pain (NCP) is one of the most complex phenomena among cancer pain syndromes. NCP may result from direct damage to nerves due to acute diagnostic/therapeutic interventions. Chronic NCP is the result of treatment complications or malignancy itself. Although the reason for pain is different in NCP and noncancer neuropathic pain, the pathophysiologic mechanisms are similar. Data regarding neuropathic pain are primarily obtained from neuropathic pain studies. Evidence pertaining to NCP is limited. NCP due to chemotherapeutic toxicity is a major problem for physicians. In the past two decades, there have been efforts to standardize NCP treatment in order to provide better medical service. Opioids are the mainstay of cancer pain treatment; however, a new group of therapeutics called coanalgesic drugs has been introduced to pain treatment. These coanalgesics include gabapentinoids (gabapentin, pregabalin), antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants, duloxetine, and venlafaxine), corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists, and cannabinoids. Pain can be encountered throughout every step of cancer treatment, and thus all practicing oncologists must be capable of assessing pain, know the possible underlying pathophysiology, and manage it appropriately. The purpose of this review is to discuss neuropathic pain and NCP in detail, the relevance of this topic, clinical features, possible pathology, and treatments of NCP. Keywords: neuropathy, cancer pain, coanalgesicshttp://www.dovepress.com/neuropathic-cancer-pain-what-we-are-dealing-with-how-to-manage-it-a16520
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Esin E
Yalcin S
spellingShingle Esin E
Yalcin S
Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
OncoTargets and Therapy
author_facet Esin E
Yalcin S
author_sort Esin E
title Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
title_short Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
title_full Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
title_fullStr Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
title_full_unstemmed Neuropathic cancer pain: What we are dealing with? How to manage it?
title_sort neuropathic cancer pain: what we are dealing with? how to manage it?
publisher Dove Medical Press
series OncoTargets and Therapy
issn 1178-6930
publishDate 2014-04-01
description Ece Esin, Suayib Yalcin Medical Oncology Department, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey Abstract: Cancer pain is a serious health problem, and imposes a great burden on the lives of patients and their families. Pain can be associated with delay in treatment, denial of treatment, or failure of treatment. If the pain is not treated properly it may impair the quality of life. Neuropathic cancer pain (NCP) is one of the most complex phenomena among cancer pain syndromes. NCP may result from direct damage to nerves due to acute diagnostic/therapeutic interventions. Chronic NCP is the result of treatment complications or malignancy itself. Although the reason for pain is different in NCP and noncancer neuropathic pain, the pathophysiologic mechanisms are similar. Data regarding neuropathic pain are primarily obtained from neuropathic pain studies. Evidence pertaining to NCP is limited. NCP due to chemotherapeutic toxicity is a major problem for physicians. In the past two decades, there have been efforts to standardize NCP treatment in order to provide better medical service. Opioids are the mainstay of cancer pain treatment; however, a new group of therapeutics called coanalgesic drugs has been introduced to pain treatment. These coanalgesics include gabapentinoids (gabapentin, pregabalin), antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants, duloxetine, and venlafaxine), corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists, and cannabinoids. Pain can be encountered throughout every step of cancer treatment, and thus all practicing oncologists must be capable of assessing pain, know the possible underlying pathophysiology, and manage it appropriately. The purpose of this review is to discuss neuropathic pain and NCP in detail, the relevance of this topic, clinical features, possible pathology, and treatments of NCP. Keywords: neuropathy, cancer pain, coanalgesics
url http://www.dovepress.com/neuropathic-cancer-pain-what-we-are-dealing-with-how-to-manage-it-a16520
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