title: Pharmacological management of cancer pain.
abstract: Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by cancer patients during the course of their illness. It can negatively impact patients' quality of life, functional status, and progress during rehabilitation. Despite the widespread availability of analgesic therapies, cancer pain remains undertreated. Developing knowledge and skills on cancer pain management is of extreme importance for healthcare providers dealing with cancer patients. The goal of this article is to review the principles of pharmacological therapy of cancer pain, to describe the basic pathophysiological mechanisms and etiologies of cancer pain, and to highlight the elements of a thorough pain assessment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Marcos L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Montagnini
authors.forename: Carolyn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Zaleon
mesh_terms: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid