Neurolytic Blocks of the Sympathetic Axis for the Treatment of Visceral Pain in Cancer.
Pain due to cancer is frequently visceral, and neurolysis of the sympathetic axis has been shown to be an effective and safe method for treating this visceral pain. Several studies have documented the efficacy of neurolytic blocks both by a reduction in the intensity of pain and by a decrease in opioid consumption. Neurolysis of the sympathetic axis should be incorporated into the pain specialist's arsenal as an adjuvant to oral pharmacologic therapy.
de Leon-Casasola OA
SUNY-Buffalo School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.