Cancer-related neuropathic pain: pharmalogical options

Based on recent estimates, approximately 320500 people were diagnosed with cancer in the UK in 2009 (Cancer Research UK, 2012). Cancer is a major public health problem and is becoming even more significant as the population grows, ages, and increasingly embraces cancer-causing habits such as smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity. Patients with cancer may experience acute and chronic pain as a consequence of their disease or as an outcome of its treatment. Extensive research findings indicate that cancer pain is a problem for many patients and that it is often undertreated (Breuer et al, 2011).