title: [Palliative pain therapy, cannabinoids].
abstract: Cancer pain treatment should follow the recommendations of the World Health Organisation. Treatment should be with oral application, regular application times and following the analgesic step-ladder. Non-opioids such as dipyrone or non-steroids are used for slight to moderate pain, step-2 opioids such as tramadol or tilidine/naloxone for moderate pain and step-3 opioids such as morphine, oxycodone or hydromorphone for severe pain. Transdermal application of fentanyl or buprenorphine offer a non-invasive parenteral alternative for patients with stable pain syndromes. Cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol offer a valuable add-on option for cancer patients with refractory pain, spasticity, nausea or appetite loss.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Palliativmedizin, RWTH Aachen. lradbruch@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elsner
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002186:Cannabinoids