Cancer Pain

In 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a document entitled “A Declaration of the Rights of Patients with Chronic Cancer,” which says that according to the WHO, three-step analgesic ladder pain relief should be adequate for 70–90% of patients. However, despite increased attention on assessment and management, pain continues to be a prevalent symptom for patients with cancer. That is why refreshment of knowledge in cancer pain is necessary for every active practitioner. Broad overview of current understanding in cancer pain is presented in the chapter. Cancer pain syndromes are analyzed in between acute or chronic, and in among various causes occurred. Cancer pain assessment was presented with challenges meeting clinical practitioners. For cancer pain treatment, principles of multimodal approach are used. The pharmaceutical treatment presented in detail included rational use of opioids. Big attention is paid on palliative care of cancer pain patients and hospice-based palliative care model is presented too. New technologies of breakthrough cancer pain management are disclosed in detail including special questionnaire for patients. Cancer survivors’ pain treatment and general practitioner’s role among cancer pain problems are new topics presented in the chapter

Conservative ways to treat cancer pain

Cancer pain is a major problem for cancer patients, as about 80 percent patients with advanced cancer declare pain as their main symptom. The causes of the pain are very different: due to the main tumor, its metastases, anticancer treatment, debility caused by the cancer or other diseases. The cancer pain relief algorithm is proposed in the article, including determination of the cause, type, intensity of pain, its pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, opioid rotation rules, treatment of adverse drug reactions, etc