[Symptomatic treatment of pain in cervico-facial cancers]

Pain is frequent in patients presenting cervico-facial cancers. It can be acute or persistent, or present at the morbid entity known as chronic pain. The specific anatomical site and the often poor environment explain that the physical disability related to pain is increased by multiple psychosocial problems. Multidisciplinary care management by several actors is required and can be facilitated by a simple decision-making model. The schema presented can be used to prompt discussion and criticism. It needs constant improvement and extensions in order to reach a consensual attitude towards this king of suffering but also towards other situations of pain care management frequently encountered in cancer patients as well as those with other pathologies.