[Oncologic pain]

Rev Port Pneumol. 2007 Nov-Dec;13(6):855-67.
[Article in Portuguese]

Abstract

Pain can be defined by several ways, but is usually describes as an unpleasant sensorial or emotional experience related to real or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. The cancer patient may experience pain related to the cancer itself, its treatment or not related at all with the oncologic disease. It has an extreme importance to the patient, as it is interpreted as a worsening of the prognosis or near death. Therefore it is extremely important a correct approach and treatment of cancer pain. Pain can be treated by pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic means and by more invasive procedures. The options for pharmacologic treatment are various, since nonopioid, opioid analgesics and co-analgesics. The authors present a review of the pharmacological treatment of cancer pain and alert to the importance of the recognition of pain as an illness and the possibility to be relieved.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms*
  • Pain / drug therapy*
  • Pain / etiology*

Substances

  • Analgesics