Abstract
Metastatic bone cancer pain may cause significant morbidity among the cancer patient population. Painful bone lesions are challenging to manage due to the aggressive pathophysiology of the pain generator involved. The WHO’s approach to cancer pain treatment involves the use of a three-step ladder which provides a guideline for clinicians to treat patients who struggle from cancer pain syndromes. It is possible that this ladder is no longer helpful for patients who continue to fail oral or transdermal medication options. A fourth step in the cancer pain ladder has been proposed to include interventional approaches to cancer pain management. This review will discuss opioid therapy, radium-223, denosumab and bisphosphonate therapy, but will primarily review the available interventional treatment options for metastatic bone cancer pain.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.