Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Interventional Pain Management in Cancer Pain

Integrating an Interventional Pain Management Curriculum in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training: A Feasibility Study

BackgroundPain is a common symptom for patients with cancer. Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) physicians are expected to be experts in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of pain for this patient population. Insufficient knowledge of non-pharmacologic, interventional approaches to pain management is a barrier to providing optimal care. This study assesses the feasibility and effectiveness of an interventional pain management curriculum on HPM fellow knowledge at a single institution.ObjectivesThe primary objective was to implement an interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows' and secondly to measure its effects on their knowledge and confidence in interventional pain management approaches.MethodsWe executed an interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows. The curriculum consisted of 6 fifty-minute virtual lectures. Anonymous pre- and post-curriculum surveys were used to assess curricular impact.ResultsPost-course surveys showed a significant increase in HPM fellows' knowledge and confidence in interventional pain management techniques.ConclusionsAn interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows is a feasible and promising intervention to significantly impact fellows' knowledge and confidence in non-pharmacologic treatment of cancer pain.

Pain Management in Cancer Patients With Artificial Intelligence: Narrative Review

Background: Pain is a significant symptom in cancer patients that is frequently not effectively treated, and managing it is seen as a crucial aspect of caring for these patients. This severe pain frequently causes a significant disturbance in their quality of life. At present, there are different challenges in utilizing a range of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments for managing pain in cancer patients. Recent technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence, have improved the management of pain in cancer patients. Artificial intelligence and its algorithms offer potential solutions for pain relief in cancer patients with reduced side effects. Study Design: The current review aimed to assess the validity of studies on using artificial intelligence in pain management for cancer patients. Four databases have been used to review all published studies from the start of 2023: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search mechanism for articles was mainly using valid and mesh-based keywords, asking experts, and reviewing the literature and including "Pain," "Pain management," "Cancer," and "Artificial intelligence." During the initial search, a total of 450 articles were found, and after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria and reviewing the abstract and content of the articles, 15 articles were finally included in the study. Results: AI-based solutions can provide individual pain relief plans. When AI analyzes large patient data such as physiological signals, responses to treatment, and symptoms of patients who have been diagnosed with pain, it is possible to accurately adjust therapeutic measures. Conclusions: AI enables healthcare providers to offer timely care and assistance to cancer patients through remote monitoring and telehealth services, even when they are not physically present. Despite the presence of hurdles such as ensuring ethical AI practices and protecting data privacy, the integration of AI in oncology pain management brings optimism for the future.

Epidural Analgesia for End-of-Life Pain

Objectives: While epidural anesthesia is an established technique for labor and perioperative pain, its use in the hospice setting remains limited, resulting in a reliance on oral opioids. We describe patients with intractable pain who pursued hospice enrollment with tunneled epidural analgesia for pain management. Methods: All patients who received a tunneled epidural prior to hospice enrollment between January 1, 2017, and September 20, 2023, were included. The medication infused, adverse effects, as well as changes in oral morphine equivalents (OME), pain scores, blood pressure, and heart rate were extracted from the medical record. Results: Seven patients underwent tunneled epidural placement for pain management. The average change in OME was -122.73 mg. Conclusions: Overall, tunneled epidural analgesia may be an underutilized method of pain management for patients at end-of-life with intractable pain. Further high-quality research on the subject is necessary to establish effectiveness, safety, and barriers to implementation.

Bridging the Gap: Promoting Interventional Pain Medicine as a Future for Family Physicians

The use of interventional pain medicine (IPM) has been growing over the past few years, offering relief to patients suffering from acute and chronic pain who have failed conservative therapies. Pain is one of the top complaints that family physicians encounter, yet there is no official pain medicine (PM) fellowship or recognized training program that favors family medicine graduates. Although family medicine residency programs allot a certain amount of time to teaching trainees in PM, this is considerably insufficient and does not dedicate ample time for procedural treatments. This review explains the increasing demand for IPM and provides several arguments for family physicians to provide all aspects of PM, including interventional treatments. It is recommended that pain fellowships recognize family physicians as being ideal candidates for their programs and identify their potential and competencies to perform interventional procedures.

Sympathetic nerve blocks for persistent pain in adults with inoperable abdominopelvic cancer

BACKGROUND

Persistent visceral pain is an unpleasant sensation coming from one or more organs within the body. Visceral pain is a common symptom in those with advanced cancer. Interventional procedures, such as neurolytic sympathetic nerve blocks, have been suggested as additional treatments that may play a part in optimising pain management for individuals with this condition.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and harms of neurolytic sympathetic nerve blocks for persistent visceral pain in adults with inoperable abdominopelvic cancer compared to standard care or placebo and comparing single blocks to combination blocks.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the following databases without language restrictions on 19 October 2022 and ran a top-up search on 31 October 2023: CENTRAL; MEDLINE via Ovid; Embase via Ovid; LILACS. We searched trial registers without language restrictions on 2 November 2022: ClinicalTrials.gov; WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). We searched grey literature, checked reference lists of reviews and retrieved articles for additional studies, and performed citation searches on key articles. We also contacted experts in the field for unpublished and ongoing trials. Our trial protocol was preregistered in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews on 21 October 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any sympathetic nerve block targeting sites commonly used to treat abdominal pelvic pain from inoperable malignancies in adults to standard care or placebo.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We independently selected trials based on predefined inclusion criteria, resolving any differences via adjudication with a third review author. We used a random-effects model as some heterogeneity was expected between the studies due to differences in the interventions being assessed and malignancy types included in the study population. We chose three primary outcomes and four secondary outcomes of interest. We sought consumer input to refine our review outcomes and assessed extracted data using Cochrane's risk of bias 2 tool (RoB 2). We assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE system.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 17 studies with 1025 participants in this review. Fifteen studies with a total of 951 participants contributed to the quantitative analysis. Single block versus standard care Primary outcomes No included studies reported our primary outcome, 'Proportion of participants reporting no worse than mild pain after treatment at 14 days'. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of sympathetic nerve blocks on reducing pain to no worse than mild pain at 14 days when compared to standard care due to insufficient data (very low-certainty evidence). Sympathetic nerve blocks may provide small to 'little to no' improvement in quality of life (QOL) scores at 14 days after treatment when compared to standard care, but the evidence is very uncertain (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.70 to 0.25; I² = 87%; 4 studies, 150 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the risk of serious adverse events as defined in our review as only one study contributed data to this outcome. Sympathetic nerve blocks may have an 'increased risk' to 'no additional risk' of harm compared with standard care (very low-certainty evidence). Secondary outcomes Sympathetic nerve blocks showed a small to 'little to no' effect on participant-reported pain scores at 14 days using a 0 to 10 visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain compared with standard care, but the evidence is very uncertain (mean difference (MD) -0.44, 95% CI -0.98 to 0.11; I² = 56%; 5 studies, 214 participants; very low-certainty evidence). There may be a 'moderate to large' to 'little to no' reduction in daily consumption of opioids postprocedure at 14 days with sympathetic nerve blocks compared with standard care, but the evidence is very uncertain (change in daily consumption of opioids at 14 days as oral milligrams morphine equivalent (MME): MD -41.63 mg, 95% CI -78.54 mg to -4.72 mg; I² = 90%; 4 studies, 130 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of sympathetic nerve blocks on participant satisfaction with procedure at 0 to 7 days and time to need for retreatment or treatment effect failure (or both) due to insufficient data. Combination block versus single block Primary outcomes There is no evidence about the effect of combination sympathetic nerve blocks compared with single sympathetic nerve blocks on the proportion of participants reporting no worse than mild pain after treatment at 14 days because no studies reported this outcome. There may be a small to 'little to no' effect on QOL score at 14 days after treatment, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the risk of serious adverse events with combination sympathetic nerve blocks compared with single sympathetic nerve blocks due to limited reporting in the included studies (very low-certainty evidence). Secondary outcomes The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of combination sympathetic nerve blocks compared with single sympathetic nerve blocks on participant-reported pain score and change in daily consumption of opioids postprocedure, at 14 days. There may be a small to 'little to no' effect, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low-certainty evidence). There is no evidence about the effect on participant satisfaction with procedure at 0 to 7 days and time to need for retreatment or treatment effect failure (or both) due to these outcomes not being measured by the studies. Risk of bias The risk of bias was predominately high for most outcomes in most studies due to significant concerns regarding adequate blinding. Very few studies were deemed as low risk across all domains for any outcome.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is limited evidence to support or refute the use of sympathetic nerve blocks for persistent abdominopelvic pain due to inoperable malignancy. We are very uncertain about the effect of combination sympathetic nerve blocks compared with single sympathetic nerve blocks. The certainty of the evidence is very low and these findings should be interpreted with caution.

Pain management in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) occupies the second place in incidence and mortality among women in México. Despite this, Cervical Cancer continues to have a late diagnosis which leads to a high rate of complications. Pain represents the most feared and disabling symptom, being present in up to 86% of patients with advanced disease. The approach to managing pain in this population has not been studied and described to a full extent. In addition, there is a pressing need to provide concise recommendations to promote adequate pain control. We performed a review of the literature in CC and had experts in the field of pain management evaluate the evidence found. We then issued relevant recommendations on pharmacology and interventional pain management. Thus, the approach to pain management must be comprehensive and individualized, considering the timely and appropriate use of pharmacologic treatment as well as interventional procedures.

Fluoroscopic-Guided Bilateral Superior Hypogastric Plexus Neurolysis in the Treatment of Intractable Neoplasm-Related Penile Pain

Intractable penile pain can be a very difficult condition to address. Studies have shown that both locally advanced and metastatic penile cancer, along with its associated management options and subsequent complications, yield a very poor prognosis, with pain being the most feared symptom. Furthermore, a lack of palliative therapy has been demonstrated in this patient population, with an emphasis on the need for implementing future options. This case depicts a 67-year-old male, with a past medical history of metastatic prostate cancer involving the penis, who presented with intractable penile pain. To the authors’ knowledge, this will be the first documented case of the successful utilization of a bilateral superior hypogastric plexus neurolysis in the management of intractable neoplasm-related penile pain attributed to both radiation-induced injury in the treatment of malignant neoplasm and penile pain secondary to metastatic prostate cancer to the penis. As a currently under-utilized treatment option in the management of intractable neoplasm-related penile pain, this case presentation acts to increase awareness of its potential use, therefore reducing the need for analgesics and the associated burdens, as well as improving patient palliation. Furthermore, this case offers evidence supporting the encouragement of its use in the general management of intractable penile pain due to other pathophysiology.

Interventional Treatments for Cancer Pain

Interventional pain management is a subspecialty of medicine devoted to the use of invasive techniques such as joint injections, nerve blocks/or neurolysis, neuromodulation, and epidural and selective nerve blocks to provide diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes unresponsive to conventional medical management.

Sequential Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus and Stellate Ganglion Neurolysis for Upper Limb Pain in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Neuropathic pain in cancer can result in severe debilitation to a patient with limited treatment options. Interventional modalities like nerve destruction can provide relief but at the expense of motor paralysis. Sympathetic pain is often an undiagnosed and undertreated condition that may accompany cases of chronic pain. We describe a case of severe neuropathic pain in brachial plexopathy in a middle-aged woman caused by metastatic breast cancer that was managed by chemical neurolysis of brachial plexus. Residual pain was treated by neurolysis of stellate ganglion due to the presence of sympathetic pain. This case report highlights the importance of the dual nature of pain and its management by chemical neurolysis in severe refractory neuropathic and sympathetic mediated pain.

A Comprehensive Update of the Superior Hypogastric Block for the Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This is a comprehensive review of the superior hypogastric block for the management of chronic pelvic pain. It reviews the background, including etiology, epidemiology, and current treatment available for chronic pelvic pain. It then presents the superior hypogastric block and reviews the seminal and most recent evidence about its use in chronic pelvic pain.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several definitions exist for chronic pelvic pain (CPP), making the diagnosis more challenging for the clinician; however, they commonly describe continuous pain lasting 6 months in the pelvis, with an overwhelming majority of patients being reproductive-aged women. This pain is often one of mechanical, inflammatory, or neuropathic. It is generally underdiagnosed and affects anywhere between 5 and 26% of women. The diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain is clinical, consisting of mainly of a thorough history and physical and ruling out other causes. The pathophysiology is often endometriosis (70%) and also includes PID, adhesions, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, chronic processes of the GI and urinary tracts, as well as pelvic-intrinsic musculoskeletal causes. Treatment includes physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and oral and parenteral opioids. Interventional techniques provide an added tier of treatment and may help to reduce the requirement for chronic opioid use. Superior hypogastric plexus block is one of the available interventional techniques; first described in 1990, it has been shown to provide long-lasting relief in 50-70% of patients who underwent the procedure. Two approaches described so far, both under fluoroscopy, have seen similar results. More recently, ultrasound and CT-guided procedures have also been described with similar success. The injectate includes local anesthetic, steroids, and neurolytic agents such as phenol or ethanol. CPP is a common debilitating condition. It is diagnosed clinically and is underdiagnosed globally. Current treatments can be helpful at times but may fall short of satisfactory pain relief. Interventional techniques provide an added layer of treatment as well as reduce the requirement for opioids. Superior hypogastric plexus block provides long-lasting relief in many patients, regardless of approach. Evidence level is limited, and further RCTs could help provide better tools for evaluation and patient selection.

Adjuvant administration of hypertonic saline in lumbar epidural intervention may be associated with successful response in patients with probable neuropathic radicular pain Screened by Douleur Neuropathique 4

Background: Chronic lumbar radicular pain often accompanies neuropathic pain. The treatment may follow a screening for probable neuropathic pain rather than the definitive diagnosis, which is often difficult in daily practice. However, interventional management may have limited effects on symptoms in patients with neuropathic radicular pain refractory to conservative treatments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors associated with successful responses after lumbar epidural intervention in patients with chronic lumbar neuropathic radicular pain determined by Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 221 chronic lumbar radicular pain patients using a DN4 questionnaire prior to the epidural interventional procedure. The patients were divided into two groups according to the DN4 questionnaire: <4-point DN4 and ≥4 DN4. The numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain intensity, changes in physical functional status, and the use of pain medication were obtained before and 1 month after the procedure. Successful responder was defined based on robust combination of outcome parameters. The factors associated with successful response were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression. Results: We found 170 (76.9%) patients with DN4 <4 and 51 (23.1%) with a score ≥4. Among the total 221 patients, 129 (58.4%) were successful responders and 92 (41.6%) were non-responders regardless of DN4 score. We observed a significantly lower proportion of successful responders among patients with a DN4 score ≥4 (22, 43.1%) than patients with a score <4 (107, 62.9%) (P=0.012). After adjusting in multivariate regression analysis, the DN4 score was independently associated with response after lumbar epidural intervention (odds ratio [OR]=0.838; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.718-0.978; P=0.025). In subgroup logistic regression analysis according to the DN4 score, adjuvant administration of hypertonic saline during epidural interventions in patients with a DN4 score ≥4 (OR=3.71; CI=1.142-12.457; P=0.029) was associated with the success of the lumbar epidural procedure at 1 month. Conclusion: The adjuvant use of hypertonic saline in lumbar epidural interventions may be effective at least 1 month after the intervention in patients with probable neuropathic lumbar radicular pain ≥4 using the DN4.

Reasons for failure to perform interventional pain procedures in cancer patients: an analysis of pain clinic consultations

Background

Interventional pain procedures (IPPs) may be necessary for some cancer patients when conservative treatment fails. However, many IPPs are often delayed or cancelled for cancer patients who are referred to the pain clinic.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the reasons for such cancellations to identify clinically avoidable causes of the delay in IPP.

Results

We enrolled 350 cancer patients who were referred to our pain clinic for an IPP between March 2016 and February 2018. There were 213 (60.9%) cases that were cancelled, among which 115 (54%) cases were potentially avoidable and 98 (46%) were unavoidable. The most common reasons for cancellation were patient-derived factors, which accounted for 85 (39.9%) cases. Patient refusal was a common reason for cancellation, with 33 (15.5%) cases attributed to this cause. The primary avoidable causes of cancellation were a recommendation that the patient continue with their current pharmacological pain treatment, conflict with another planned treatment, and pain characteristics that were not suitable for an IPP. Together, these accounted for 76.5% of all avoidable cancellations.

Conclusions

Comprehensive and accurate pain assessments before IPP may result in more favorable outcomes for the efficient use of medical resource and effective pain relief in cancer patients.

Tailoring of neurosurgical ablative procedures in the management of refractory cancer pain

INTRODUCTION

Neurosurgical ablative procedures can offer immediate and effective pain relief for patients suffering from refractory cancer pain. However, choosing the appropriate procedure for each patient may not be straightforward and warrants an interdisciplinary approach. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with cancer who were carefully selected for neurosurgical intervention by a dedicated interdisciplinary team composed of a palliative physician and nurse practitioner, a pain specialist and a neurosurgeon.

METHODS

A retrospective review was carried out on all patients who underwent neurosurgical ablative procedures in our institute between March 2015 and September 2019. All patients had advanced metastatic cancer with unfavorable prognosis and suffered from intractable oncological pain. Each treatment plan was devised to address the patients' specific pain syndromes.

RESULTS

A total of 204 patients were examined by our service during the study period. Sixty-four patients with localized pain and nineteen patients with diffuse pain syndromes were selected for neurosurgical interventions, either targeted disconnection of the spinothalamic tract or stereotactic cingulotomy. Substantial pain relief was reported by both groups immediately (cordotomy: Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) 9 ≥1, p=0.001, cingulotomy: NRS 9 ≥2, p=0.001) and maintained along the next 3-month follow-up visits.

CONCLUSIONS

An interdisciplinary collaboration designated to provide neurosurgical ablative procedures among carefully selected patients could culminate in substantial relief of intractable cancer pain.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

IR0354-17.

Systematic Review of Radiofrequency Ablation for Management of Knee Pain

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Chronic pain of the lower extremity remains challenging to manage. Radiofrequency ablation procedure applies heat to nerve fibers with the goal of mitigating chronic pain conditions of the knee. However, the clinical efficacy has not yet been adequately established. The goal of this review paper is to report the use of radiofrequency ablations in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

RECENT FINDINGS

PubMed and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (final search 28 February 2018) using the MeSH terms "radiofrequency ablation," "neurolysis," "radiofrequency therapy," "pain syndrome," "analgesia," and "pain" in the English literature. Bibliographies of the published papers were screened for relevance to lower extremity radiofrequency ablation therapies. The quality of selected publications was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias instrument. Of the 923 papers screened, 317 were further investigated for relevance. Our final search methodology yielded 19 studies that investigated the use of radiofrequency ablation at the knee. Of these 19 studies, there were four randomized control trials, two non-randomized control trials, three prospective studies, two retrospective studies, one case-control study, one technical report, and seven case reports. In summary, the data available suggests radiofrequency ablation as a promising and efficacious with all 19 studies revealing significant short- and long-term pain reductions in patients with knee pain.

Assessment of the effectiveness and safety of two radiofrequency techniques for the treatment of knee pain secondary to gonarthrosis. Prospective randomized double blind study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In patients with knee pain due to gonarthrosis, we have treatments that are not free of side effects.

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of radiofrequency (pulsed and conventional) on the saphenous nerve at the subsartorial level and the genicular nerves of the knee, by ultrasonography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. G1 (RDF1): subjects subjected to radiofrequency, G2 (PLCB): subjects subjected to placebo. A decrease ≥30% of the pain was considered clinically relevant, according to numerical rating scale and in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, global patient impression questionnaire (PGIC) and health status questionnaire (SF-12) in the evaluation at month, three months and six months after the completion of the technique.

RESULTS

28 patients (G1: 12, G2: 16), 72% women, age: 75.2±9.1 years, body mass index: 29.9±4.64. The analysis did not show a pain reduction, neither statistically significant, not clinically relevant, at one month, three, or six months with respect to the start of treatment, in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire and numerical rating scale (rest, movement). Regarding PGIC and the SF-12 questionnaire, there were no statistically significant differences between G1 and G2 either before or after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of two radiofrequency techniques, does not cause a reduction in the intensity of the knee pain, at month, three, or at six months after its completion. It is necessary to change the radiofrequency technique and include more variables to continue with the efficacy study.

A Systematic Review of Radiofrequency Treatment of the Ankle for the Management of Chronic Foot and Ankle Pain

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain of the lower extremity remains challenging to manage. Radiofrequency treatment applies heat to nerve fibers with the goal of mitigating chronic pain conditions. The clinical efficacy has not yet been adequately established for pathologies of the ankle and foot. In this review paper, we report the use and efficacy of radiofrequency treatment applied to foot and ankle pain.

RECENT FINDINGS

PubMed and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (final search 30 March 2018) using the MeSH terms "radiofrequency ablation," "neurolysis," "radiofrequency therapy," "pain syndrome," "analgesia," "plantar heel pain," "plantar fascitis," and "chronic pain" in the English literature. Of the 23 papers screened, 18 were further investigated for relevance. Our final search methodology yielded 15 studies that investigated the use of radiofrequency treatment at the ankle. Of these 15 studies, there were three randomized control trials, four prospective studies, three retrospective studies, and five case reports. The quality of selected publications was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias instrument. The evidence from our studies suggests that radiofrequency treatment can be used safely for the management foot and ankle pain. The technique (continuous vs pulsatile), temperature, location of treatment, and duration of administration need more thorough evaluation. Randomized control trials are needed to establish the efficacy and safety profile of radiofrequency ablation and its long-term benefits in patients with chronic pain of the foot and ankle.

CONCLUSION

The evidence from our studies suggests that radiofrequency treatment can be used safely for the management foot and ankle pain. The technique (continuous vs pulsatile), temperature, location of treatment, and duration of administration need more thorough evaluation. Randomized control trials are needed to establish the efficacy and safety profile of radiofrequency ablation and its long-term benefits in patients with chronic pain of the foot and ankle.

Interventional Anesthetic Methods for Pain in Hematology/Oncology Patients

This article reviews anesthetic interventional approaches to the management of pain in hematology and oncology patients. It includes a discussion of single interventions including peripheral nerve blocks, plexus injections, and sympathetic nerve neurolysis, and continuous infusion therapy through implantable devices, such as intrathecal pumps, epidural port-a-caths, and tunneled catheters. The primary objective is to inform members of hematology and oncology care teams regarding the variety of interventional options for patients with cancer-related pain for whom medical pain management methods have not been effective.

Brachial Plexus Chemical Neurolysis with Ethanol for Cancer Pain

Chemical neurolytic nerve blocks have been successfully used to treat a variety of cancer-related pain. However, the literature has been sparse regarding neurolysis of the brachial plexus for cancer pain. We present a unique case report of a successful chemical neurolysis of the brachial plexus with dehydrated ethanol for a patient suffering from metastatic mammary carcinoma with tumor invasion of the right brachial plexus.

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty for Metastatic Spinal Lesions: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

The spine is the most common site of bone metastases. Vertebroplasty (VP) and kyphoplasty (KP) have been proposed as potential minimally invasive therapeutic options for metastatic spinal lesion (MSL) pain. However, the efficacy of VP and KP on MSL pain is currently unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of VP and KP compared with each other, usual care, or other treatments on pain, disability, and quality of life following MSL.

METHODS

We included randomized controlled trials and prospective nonrandomized controlled clinical trials assessing VP or KP for the treatment of pain following MSL without cord compression. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and CENTRAL.

RESULTS

The literature search revealed 387 citations. Of these, 9 trials met all eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis. In total, there were 622 patients enrolled in the trials and of them 432 were in the surgical treatment group (92 received KP, 97 received VP, 134 received VP and chemotherapy, 68 received VP and radiotherapy, and 41 received Kiva implant) and 190 were in the nonsurgical treatment group (83 received chemotherapy, 46 received radiotherapy, and 61 received other treatment). Using the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation approach, pain (low-quality evidence) and functional scores (very low-quality evidence) improved more with VP plus chemotherapy than with chemotherapy alone (pain: mean difference, -3.01; 95% confidence interval, -3.21 to -2.80; functional score: mean difference, 15.46; 95% confidence interval, 13.58-17.34). KP seemed to lead to significantly greater improvement in pain, disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared with nonsurgical management. VP plus Iodine-125 seemed to lead to significantly greater improvement in pain and disability in comparison with VP alone. VP plus radiochemotherapy resulted in better pain relief and HRQoL postoperatively in comparison with routine radiochemotherapy. There was low-quality evidence to prove that surgical treatment significantly decreases pain, and improves functional score and HRQoL following MSL in comparison with nonsurgical management.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of the analysis of currently published trial data, it is unclear whether VP for MSL provides benefits over KP.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2.

Challenges and concerns of persistent opioid use in cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

As a result of advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, two-thirds of individuals suffering with cancer survive more than 5 years after diagnosis, resulting in a large proportion of patients with chronic cancer pain alone or associated with chronic noncancer pain. There is a paucity of literature in reference to diagnosis and management of chronic cancer pain, specifically in relation to persistent opioid use, its effectiveness, and adverse consequences. Areas covered: This review covers the prevalence of chronic cancer pain and its association with multiple comorbidities, persistent opioid use and related consequences, and challenges in managing persistent chronic cancer pain patients. In addition, discussion includes therapeutic opioid use, effectiveness of opioid therapy, assessment of risk of persistent opioid use, and guidance for responsible, persistent opioid prescribing for chronic cancer pain patients. Expert commentary: Despite extensive availability of opioids and related common adverse consequences, including the potential for escalating use, abuse, and deaths, greater awareness is needed to counteract the present atmosphere and appropriately manage patients with chronic cancer pain. Chronic cancer pain is a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon with multiple comorbidities. Opioid therapy has become extremely complex with negative connotations related to escalating abuse and related deaths.

Retrograde Epidural Catheter Relieves Intractable Sacral Pain

Pain caused by tumor infiltration of the sacral area remains a major clinical challenge. Patients with poor pain control despite comprehensive medical management may be treated with neuraxial techniques such as continuous epidural or spinal anesthetic. We report a case in which a patient with metastatic breast cancer experienced inadequate pain relief after multiple intravenous pain management regimens as well as intrathecal (IT) drug delivery. The concentration of local anesthetics delivered via the IT catheter was limited due to the patient's baseline motor weakness which would be exacerbated with higher concentrations of local anesthetics. Thus, a decision was made to insert an epidural catheter via a retrograde technique to provide the patient with a "band of anesthesia" which would provide profound sensory blockade without concomitant motor weakness. Pain refractory to other modalities of pain control was successfully treated with the epidural technique.