title: Analgesia with epidural calcitonin in cancer patients.
abstract: We evaluated the analgesic effect of salmon calcitonin (sCT) on 14 patients with intractable cancer pain. The drug was administered by epidural infusion (4-8 bolus administrations in 48 h); the dosage was 100 IU/48 h in 5 patients and 400 IU/48 h in 9 patients. Significant, although limited, pain relief and nocturnal pain relief were obtained; the requirement for conventional analgesic drugs was substantially reduced. The treatment was well tolerated and no side effect was recorded. However, only in 3/14 patients did pain relief result in improvement of mobility, with two patients becoming able to ambulate; no patient experienced absence of pain. In general, the treatment produced only limited benefit and subsequent morphine treatment was required in all instances. Widespread use of epidural sCT in intractable cancer pain is not justified as a routine procedure and more substantial evidence is required to support the clinical utility of such an approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miseria
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Torresi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piga
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tummarello
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belleggia
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Caputi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cellerino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: C028815:salmon calcitonin; D002116:Calcitonin