title: [Therapy for symptomatic pain in advanced breast cancer].
abstract: From 1983-1989, 106 patients with breast cancer were treated in our pain management unit on 6767 treatment days. Pain was caused by bone metastasis in 73% of patients. Neuropathic pain was reported by 32% of the patients. In all but four of these patients, new tumour growth was diagnosed. Patients were treated according to WHO analgesic guidelines with non-opioids on 16% of the days, non-opioids in combination with weak opioids on 36% and with strong opioids on 38% (orally 90%, parenterally 4% of the days). Due to the prevalence of bone pain non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs were given on 56% of the days. The high incidence of neuropathic pain led to frequent use of co-analgesics (antidepressants 17%, anticonvulsants 12%, steroids 12% of the days). Adjuvant therapy for symptoms other than pain was given on 86% of the days. Whilst 92% of patients reported more than moderate pain on admission, 45% obtained complete pain relief beginning from the first days of treatment. On 92% of the days, patients described their pain as moderate or less. Side effects were treated symptomatically and played a minor role in a reason to change therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anaesthesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zech
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grond
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal