Development and implementation of a cancer pain intervention registry: An Australian pilot study with preliminary...

To pilot a registry to evaluate the use and effectiveness of interventional cancer pain management.

Upon interventional pain procedure scheduling, patient demographics, cancer, and pain information were entered into the longitudinal clinical registry in 2 tertiary hospitals in Sydney, Australia (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse). Details of the procedure (including proceduralist, nature of the intervention, and site of treatment), post-procedure patient-reported outcomes and quality of life surveys, adverse events, and mortality data (when known) were collected longitudinally.

Between October 2021 and March 2023, 48 patients underwent 55 procedures. Procedures included treatment targeting autonomic plexuses, peripheral nerves, fascial planes, and neuraxial structures. Celiac plexus neurolysis was the most frequently reported procedure (33.3%). Post-procedure, there was a trend in reduction in pain intensity on the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (p < 0.01), reduction in opioid consumption, and improvement in quality of life on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core-15-Palliative Care.

This is a vital first step in creating a more widely applicable registry evaluating cancer pain intervention. It provided valuable information on the range of available pain intervention procedures and data on patient-reported outcome measures using validated instruments. This will facilitate a timely review of clinical practice to improve future patient care. An Australian-wide database of cancer pain will be a valuable next step in the improvement of cancer pain management.