Advances in control of cancer pain

The wide variety of techniques and rapidly developing complex technologies currently available for managing pain, as well as the multidimensional nature of cancer pain, require that a multidisciplinary approach to treatment be used in virtually all health care settings. Members of each health care discipline have unique and very important contributions to make to the care of patients with cancer pain. This critical fact has only recently been recognized and incorporated into the management of persons with pain in inpatient, outpatient, and home settings. The development and refinement of multidisciplinary teams, coupled with the use of the most current and effective therapeutic interventions available, should result in better care of and quality of life for patients with cancer pain.