title: DREZotomy in the treatment of cancer pain: a review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer-related pain is a common problem that may be intractable by medical and neuromodulatory treatment. The dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) is a hyperactive focus in neuropathic pain syndromes, and DREZotomy has been used in selective cases of neuropathic cancer pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the technique of spinal DREZotomy in the treatment of cancer pain and review the relevant published literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed database search for 'DREZ', 'dorsal root entry zone' and 'cancer', and a search of the references of these manuscripts, was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  14 papers were identified and reviewed that described a total of 123 patients with cancer pain or radiation-induced pain who have been treated with DREZotomy. Though heterogeneous, these studies reported an overall favorable outcome in carefully selected patients with topographically limited pain syndromes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with well-localized neuropathic cancer pain intractable to medical and first-line surgical management, DREZotomy is a viable treatment option. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the outcomes of this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gadgil
authors.forename: Ashwin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000601:surgery*; D019051:Rhizotomy / Q000379:methods*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000601:surgery*