Can be effectively controlled visceral cancer related pain with using pharmacological treatment?

Pain occurring in many patients suffering from cancer. Despite the currently available therapeutic methods, many patients still suffer from bad pain control, especially in the advanced stages of the illness. In some types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer pain occurs in almost all patients. For many years now in clinical practice is used the pharmacological treatment diagram suggested by WHO, according to which the selection of analgesics is done according on the severity of pain. When pharmacological treatment is not sufficiently effective advanced methods of treatment are used: local anesthesia techniques, destruction of the neural structures were performed. In the present case of a patient with pancreatic cancer have been treated with pharmacological methods, according to the severity of pain, in accordance with the treatment diagram. Due to the fact that not always the visceral pain can be effectively treated with pure mu opioid receptor agonist, for this patient oxycodone were used. Main mechanism of action of oxycodone is related to the stimulation of central and peripheral mu and kappa opioid receptors. Kappa opioid receptors are involved in the mechanisms of visceral pain, and therefore the drug is highly effective in visceral pain. Because of the concomitant diseases and their treatment invasive techniques were not possible. The efficacy of oxycodone in visceral pain were confirmed in case of the patient with pancreatic cancer pain. The proposed treatment, after the modification has brought pain relief without significant side effects.