Understanding the genetic determinants of pain and pain management.
OBJECTIVE
To review the role of inter-individual differences in responses to pain and analgesics and to describe how these differences impact the effectiveness of therapies for patients who have cancer pain.


METHODS
Published research articles and clinical experience.


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals' genetic predisposition can affect their therapeutic response to analgesics. With the rapidly advancing field of pharmacogenetics, soon our therapeutic strategies will be targeted based on patients' genetics.


CONCLUSIONS
Oncology nurses will be better able to individualize their therapeutic strategies for patients in pain.
Miaskowski
Christine
C
Department of Physiological Nursing,University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0610, USA. chris.miaskowski@nursing.ucsf.edu
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000235:genetics
D000700:Analgesics; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase