Palliative Interventions for Pain in Cancer Patients

ABSTRACT

Pain is a debilitating problem that is common to most patients with cancer at some time during the course of their disease. Conventional therapies such as opiate analgesics and radiation therapy provide suboptimal and limited relief. Novel image-guided interventions have made a significant impact in the management of this difficult problem. This article reviews some of the most promising image-guided techniques for relieving bone and visceral pain in patients suffering from cancer.

KEYWORDS

Pain control - palliation - radiofrequency ablation - osteoplasty - embolization - nerve block

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