The aim of this study was to review all published articles in the literature in English regarding percutaneous cervical cordotomy in cancer pain. Percutaneous cordotomy may be used to relieve unilateral pain below the level of the neck arising from a variety of causes. It is particularly indicated for unilateral chest pain associated with malignant disease. We searched for reports on MEDLINE and EMBASE using the terms 'percutaneous cordotomy', 'fluoroscopy', 'computed tomography,' and 'cancer pain' up to and including 2013. Reports were also located through references of articles. This review leads us to conclude that percutaneous cervical cordotomy can be recommended even before considering the use of strong opioids.
Keywords: cancer pain; computed tomography; cordotomy; fluoroscopy.