• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.117-120
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• 1997

Cancer is a devastating disease, and the treatment of related pain is an extremely challenging task. Providing adequate analgesia while avoiding unnecessary drug effects often requires a polypharmacologic approach in cancer pain management. A 36-year old woman with breast cancer metastatic to the axial skeleton and bilateral hip joints was admitted to hemato-oncology service with complaints of intractable abdominal and hip pain. Despite rapidly increasing doses of intravenous morphine up to 350 mg per day; transdermal fentanyl; midazolam; ketorolac; lorazepam; dexamethasone, the patient continued to describe her pain as 10 of 10, refusing all surgical/diagnostic interventions not directly related to pain control. She did, however, consent to lumbar epidural catheter placement. The patient was sedated with titrating doses of propofol to assist with positioning. Even though the procedure was not successful due to significant thoracolumbar scoliosis, the patient admitted feeling better than she has in months during attempted placement. After continuous infusion of propofol was initiated at subhypnotic dose, the patient's analgesic demand was drastically reduced and described her pain as "1 to 3" of "10". Approximately 96 hours after the propofol infusion was started, the patient expired comfortably. There had been no change in her medical regimen during fecal 48 hours. In the case described, propofol was extremely advantageous as an adjuvant in the management of cancer related pain.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4561-4565
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• 2012

The aim of the present study is to find out the influence of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on pain intensity among cancer patients in India and Iran. The study followed a quasi-experimental, pre-post test, carried out with a sample of 88 cancer patients, aged 21-52 years, referred to the Baharat cancer hospital of Mysore in India and Shahidzade hospital of Behbahan in Iran. They were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=India 21; Iran 22) and control (n=India 22; Iran 23) groups. Pain was measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire-MPQ (1975), the intervention by REBT has given to the experimental group for 45 days (ten sessions) and at the end of intervention, the pain of patients was again evaluated. Concerning to hypothesis of the study, two independent sample T test and three ways mixed ANOVA is used to analyze the data. Results showed that the experimental group in post test had less pain than the control group, but there were no statistically significant differences between Indian and Iranian patients in pain perception. With respect the outcome of study, it has realized that REBT can be used in hospitals and other psychological clinics to reduce the pain of cancer patients.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.104-113
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate pain management knowledge and attitude in cancer patients and their family caregivers. Methods: The subjects were 52 hospitalized cancer patients and 52 their family caregivers in a hematooncologic unit in one general hospital. Data were collected via self-reported questionnaires and interviews in 2008. Results: 46.2% of the patient participants reported pain and 50% of them were taking opioid analgesics. Levels of knowledge about cancer pain and its management in both patient and caregiver participants were low, whereas, the scores of knowledge of the caregivers were significantly higher than that of the patients. The attitudes toward cancer pain were not significantly different between patients and caregivers. Both cancer patients and caregivers had some misconcepts in using opioid analgesics and about cancer pain. Patients' and caregivers' level of knowledge about cancer pain and its mangement demonstrated positive correlation. Conclusion: Education about cancer pain and its management should target both cancer patients and their family caregivers. Also the education should focus on intervening the misconceptions that patients and their caregivers have regarding cancer pain and its management.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.189-193
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• 1989

The analgesic effects of epidural morphine were evaluated on various types of cancer-related pain in forty-eight adult patients. Epidural morphine injections were given via an epidural catheter introduced to an epidural level corresponding to the pain area. Pain relief was classified as excellent, fair, or poor by subjective scoring and by the subsequent need for systemic analgesics. Thirty-two patients of all the patients became pain-free. In sixteen patients, pain relief was complete only for one or two of various types of pain with a certain dose of epidural morphine, The best result was obtained when the pain was continuous and originated from deep somatic structures. Based on the results, the ranking order of different types of cancer pain with regard to their susceptibility to epidural morphine was as follows: 1) Continuous somatic pain 2) Continuous visceral pain 3) Intermittent somatic pain 4) Intermittent visceral pain The differential effects of epidural morphine on cancer-related pain may suggest that various types of noxious stimuli involve different kinds of opioid receptors which differ in affinity to morphine, and that there are some pain-mediating systems which function independently of opioid mechanisms.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.230-236
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effect of the application of cancer pain management guidelines on pain management among patients in Cancer Emergency Room. Methods: This study was a retrospective descriptive study. Before application, data were collected by analyzing the Electronic Medical Record in Cancer Emergency Room in September, 2011, and after application in February, 2012. The subjects of this study consisted of 231 patients (pre-application group 83, post-application group 148), who stayed over 24 hours and complained of pain higher than Numeric Rating Scale score 4. The post-test was conducted after educating the nurses about the application of the pain management guidelines in the Electronic Medical Record. Results: This survey showed that, as the cancer pain management guidelines were applied for cancer patients with above moderate pain, the pain intensity decreased, the number of patients reaching the treatment goal score increased. Furthermore, the estimated time to reach the treatment goal decreased significantly. Conclusion: Pain intensity of the cancer patients was decreased through regular pain assessments by nurses and the medication of analgesics according to the cancer pain management guidelines. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the pain management program and to provide the physicians and nurses with intensive education about the pain management guidelines for systematic and effective pain management.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2008

Qualify of life is the main consideration in pain management and palliative care for patients with advanced cancer. Cancer pain is primarily relieved with pharmacological therapy including aretaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, adjuvant analgesics, and opioids. In addition to pharmacological therapy, the neurolytic celiac plexus block is claimed to be an effective approach in management of advanced pancreatic cancer pain. We report our patient who has been treated for advanced cancer pain with multiple neurolytic blocks. The clinical result suggests that combined neurolytic blocks improved the quality of life of patient who had advanced ranter pain by reducing both the intensity of pain and opioid consumption, without serious complications.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was designed to describe outcomes of pain management, to identify pain intensity, pain management and barriers to pain management, and to test correlation among the variables in cancer patients who are registered in public health centers. Methods: By using a descriptive survey design, 3 instruments were used to collect data: the Numeric Rating Scale for pain, the Barriers Questionnaire-Korean version, and a one-item self-report tool about patient satisfaction. A sample of 190 patients with cancer was recruited from a public health center. Results: The mean rating for pain during the past 24 hours was mild and the mean score of barriers to pain management was 3.20. Patients were satisfied with pain management but they also had concerns it. A negative correlation was found among pain severity, pain relief and satisfaction of pain management. However, there was not significant correlation between the patient-related barriers to pain management and other variables. Conclusion: These results suggest that the intervention for cancer patients should focus not only on patient-related barriers to pain management, but also address health-care system related barriers.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.202-207
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• 2000

Background: Superior hypogastric plexus block has been advocated as a useful technique for the treatment of cancer related pelvic pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neurolytic trans-intervertebrodiscal superior hypogastric plexus block for pelvic cancer pain. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with gynecologic, colorectal or genitourinary cancer who suffered intractable pain were studied. We performed superior hypogastric plexus block by trans-intervertebrodiscal approach at L5/S1 level under the C-arm fluoroscopic guide unilaterally or bilaterally. Ten ml of 100% dehydrated alcohol was injected through each needle. We evaluated the change of visual analog pain score (VAS; 0~100 mm) and daily dose of oral morphine sulphate at the time of pre-block and 7 days after the block. Results: Fourteen patients (50%) had satisfactory pain relief (VAS<30) while five patients (18%) had moderate pain control (VAS 30~60). The remaining nine patients (32%) had mild or little pain relief (VAS>60) and their daily oral morphine doses were above 160 mg. Additional pain control method may be needed for those patients who received high dose of opioid before neurolytic block. Conclusions: We conclude trans-intervertebrodiscal neurolytic superior hypogastric plexus block was effective in relieving pelvic cancer pain. Neurolytic block, earlier stage, may provide better effects for more comfortable life at the end stage for cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7501-7506
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• 2015

Background: Oncology nurses play a crucial role in cancer pain management and must be highly informed to ensure their effective practice in the cancer setting. The aim of this study was to determine the baseline level of knowledge and attitudes of oncology nurses regarding cancer pain management. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey research design was employed. The sample comprised 58 cancer nurses working in Shahid Sadoughi hospital, Yazd, Iran. The "Nurses Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain" (NKAS) tool and a demographic form were utilized to ascertain the knowledge and attitudes of oncology nurses working in oncology settings. Results: The average correct response rate for oncology nurses was 66.6%, ranging from 12.1% to 94.8%. The nurses mean score on the knowledge and attitudes survey regarding pain management was 28.5%. Results revealed that the mean percentage score overall was 65.7%. Only 8.6% of nurse participants obtained a passing score of 75% or greater. Widespread knowledge deficits and poor attitudes were noted in this study, particularly regard pharmacological management of pain. Conclusions: The present study provides important information about knowledge deficits in pain management among oncology nurses and limited training regarding pain management. Our results support the universal concern of inadequate knowledge and attitudes of nurses regarding cancer pain. It is suggested educational and quality improvement initiatives in pain management could enhance nurses knowledge in the area of pain and possibly improve practice.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.71-74
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• 2014

Cancer-related facial pain refractory to pharmacologic management or nondestructive means is a major indication for destructive pain surgery. Stereotactic mesencephalotomy can be a valuable procedure in the management of cancer pain involving the upper extremities or the face, with the assistance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiologic mapping. A 72-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of intractable left-sided facial pain. When pharmacologic and nondestructive measures failed to provide pain alleviation, he was reexamined and diagnosed with inoperable hard palate cancer with intracranial extension. During the concurrent chemoradiation treatment, his cancer-related facial pain was aggravated and became medically intractable. After careful consideration, MRI-based stereotactic mesencephalotomy was performed at a point 5 mm behind the posterior commissure, 6 mm lateral to and 5 mm below the intercommissural plane using a 2-mm electrode, with the temperature of the electrode raised to $80^{\circ}C$ for 60 seconds. Up until now, the pain has been relatively well-controlled by intermittent intraventricular morphine injection and oral opioids, with the pain level remaining at visual analogue scale 4 or 5. Stereotactic mesencephalotomy with the use of high-resolution MRI and electrophysiologic localization is a valuable procedure in patients with cancer-related facial pain.