Intervention treatments for chronic pain syndrome in cancer patients

Abstract

Noninvasive treatments for chronic pain syndrome benefit in 80-90% of cancer patients. Invasive, intervention procedures for analgesia should be used in other cases. These include neuroablative and neuromodulatory measures. Neuroablation is defined as the physical suspension of painful impulse transmission pathways by a surgical, chemical, or thermal method and comprises lytic and other blocks. Neuromodulation is the dynamic and functional suppression of pain impulse pathways by the intraspinal or intraventricular administra- tion of opioids and other chemicals.