Cancer Pain: Part 1: Pathophysiology; Oncological, Pharmacological, and Psychological Treatments: A Perspective from the British Pain Society Endorsed by the UK Association of Palliative Medicine and the Royal College of General Practitioners

Abstract

It is recognized that the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder, while providing relief of cancer pain towards the end of life for many sufferers worldwide, may have limitations in the context of longer survival and increasing disease complexity. To complement this, it is suggested that a more comprehensive model of managing cancer pain is needed that is mechanism-based and multimodal, using combination therapies including interventions where appropriate, tailored to the needs of an individual, with the aim to optimize pain relief with minimization of adverse effects.