European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

SPINAL CORD STIMULATION IN CANCER-RELATED PAIN: A REVIEW

Rupesh Raut*, Sushil Mohan Bhattarai, Georgios K. Matis, Shahzad Shams, Ammar Bin Ahsan and Atul Vats

ABSTRACT

Objective: Cancer continues to be one of the global issues as it poses an enormous burden on society in both developed and developing countries. Pain is one of the most common symptoms of cancer affecting millions of people worldwide. This mini-review aims to present the role of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in treating cancer-related pain. Method: Using PubMed, we reviewed the published literature on the use of SCS as a therapeutic strategy for achieving pain relief in cancer patients. Result: Eight relevant publications with 96 cancer patients could be retrieved; 4 case reports, one Cochrane review (92 patients), and 4 case series. Despite the significant variability in stimulation protocols, significant pain relief was reported in most of the patients. Complications were rare and minor. Conclusion: SCS has emerged out as a promising technique to alleviate chronic cancer-related pain. However, large randomized controlled trials are required to assess the efficacy of this modality and compare it with other standard pain management options.

Keywords: cancer, chronic pain, spinal cord stimulation, neuromodulation.