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07:14
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Referral patterns and requested interventions in a cancer pain e-consult system
Sarah Ahmed1, Matthew Robert Smith1, Moustafa Abdalla2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Interventional Pain Medicine
|May 25, 2026
Summary
Electronic consultations (e-consults) for interventional cancer pain improved access to specialized care. This system facilitated timely interventions for patients with advanced cancer, including those near end of life.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pain Management
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Chronic pain is a significant challenge for cancer patients, often undertreated despite available therapies.
- Electronic consultation (e-consult) systems show promise for improving specialty access but haven't been studied for interventional cancer pain.
- Limited data exists on the utilization and effectiveness of e-consult platforms in managing cancer-related pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze referral patterns and requested interventions through a dedicated interventional cancer pain e-consult platform.
- To characterize the patient population and the types of procedures sought via the e-consult system.
- To evaluate the feasibility and scope of e-consults in interventional oncology pain management.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of interventional cancer pain e-consults was conducted at a major academic medical center.
- Data from January 2020 to December 2024 were extracted from the electronic health record.
- Chart review identified demographics, referring specialties, intervention types, and mortality status, with statistical analysis of intervention category associations.
Main Results:
- 348 e-consults were analyzed, with a mean patient age of 62 years and near-equal sex distribution.
- Over half (53%) of patients were deceased at review, with a median of 148 days from referral to death.
- Celiac axis block (24%), spine procedures (16%), and opioid management (14%) were most requested; referrals came primarily from palliative care (53%).
Conclusions:
- A specialized interventional cancer pain e-consult system successfully managed diverse referrals, including many patients nearing end-of-life.
- The system facilitated access to 19 procedural categories across multiple oncology and palliative care specialties.
- E-consults offer a scalable, efficient method to enhance access to interventional pain expertise throughout cancer care.
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