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The Role of Chemical Neurolysis in Cancer Pain

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Abstract

Pain continues to be a significant symptom burden in cancer patients, with prevalence in 53% of patients at all stages of cancer and as high as 58% to 69% in those with advanced cancer. Neurolytic blocks are a mainstay in the armamentarium of cancer pain management, more so in intractable pain from advanced cancer. There is no clear consensus on patient selection, technique, or timing of these blocks. Here we discuss the use of various neurolytic blocks for cancer pain and detail some of the recent literature and our experience.

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Disclosures

Dr. Allen Burton received research funding from Medtronic, Inc, has served as a consultant for Infusion Systems and Stryker, and served as a speaker for Elan. Dr. Dhanalakshmi Koyyalagunta has received research funding from Medtronic, Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 409, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Dhanalakshmi Koyyalagunta & Allen W. Burton

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  1. Dhanalakshmi Koyyalagunta
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  2. Allen W. Burton
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Correspondence to Dhanalakshmi Koyyalagunta.

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Koyyalagunta, D., Burton, A.W. The Role of Chemical Neurolysis in Cancer Pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep 14, 261–267 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-010-0123-9

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