Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Αλγολογία: Αντιμετώπιση του πόνου, διάγνωση και θεραπεία. Φαρμακευτικές, παρεμβατικές και άλλες τεχνικέςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Zafeiris Evangelos
Supervisors info:
Αθανασία Δημητροπούλου Τσαρούχα, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Χρυσούλα Στάικου, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Αικατερίνη Μελεμενή, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Παροξυσμικός καρκινικός πόνος
Translated title:
Breakthrough cancer pain
Summary:
Introduction: Breakthrough Cancer Pain (BTcP) is a unique clinical entity, which can complicate the analgesic process attempted to meet the needs of a cancer patient. The patient should not be in pain, but BTcP may lead suggested analgesic therapeutic schemes to failure, causing the patient extra suffering. Furthermore, diagnosing BTcP may be the most strenuous task, as its diagnosis is challenging enoughdue to its characteristics: intensity, onset and pick greatly vary between patients. BTcP is a spectrum, an “umbrella- term” that encompasses different clinical manifestations. Treating it depends on many factors, which include (possible) causes, its pathophysiology and its clinical characteristics. Most Guidelines explicitly mention the parameter of dose titration, which is closely linked to the assessment and re- assessment of pain.
Scope: To investigate the latest developments in pharmacological interventions for Breakthrough Cancer Pain.
Method: Research for relevant papers in electronic databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar και Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) between September and October 2023. The keywords used were “Breakthrough Cancer Pain AND ROOs OR Pharmacological Management”. Inclusion criteria included papers in the English language, published in the last 5 years.
Results: Rapid Onset Opioids (ROOs) are considered the best available option for treating BTcP. They usually have an onset minutes after administration and their effects last for a few hours. Furthermore, they can be used whenever they are deemed necessary, as such doubling as rescue medication, which can tackle the symptoms of BTcP, especially in cases that its onset can’t be predicted.
Conclusion: ROOs appear to be effective and safe for treating BTcP, mitigating its intensity and lowering the frequency of the episodes, but dose titration and individualization are crucial for the choice of the best formulation and dose that meets the needs of the patient, and they can be implemented through continuous assessment by the doctor.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Breakthrough cancer pain, Opioids, Pharmacology
Number of references:
144
File:
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Zafeiris_Evangelos_MSc.pdf
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