title: Breakthrough cancer pain - still a challenge.
abstract: Breakthrough cancer pain is defined as transient pain exacerbation in patients with stable and controlled basal pain. Although variable, the prevalence of breakthrough cancer pain is high (33%-95%). According to the American Pain Foundation, breakthrough pain is observed in 50%-90% of all hospitalized cancer patients, in 89% of all patients admitted to homes for the elderly and terminal-patient care centers, and in 35% of all ambulatory care cancer patients. The management of breakthrough cancer pain should involve an interdisciplinary and multimodal approach. The introduction of new fentanyl formulations has represented a great advance and has notably improved treatment. Among these, the pectin-based intranasal formulation adjusts very well to the profile of breakthrough pain attacks, is effective, has a good toxicity profile, and allows for convenient dosing - affording rapid and effective analgesia with the added advantage of being easily administered by caregivers when patients are unable to collaborate.
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Alicante University General Hospital, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Margarit
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juliá
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.forename: Juan Jesús
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galvez
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mañas
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaragozá