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Breakthrough Cancer Pain

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Supportive Cancer Care

Abstract

Breakthrough pain is a relatively new concept, first coined by Portenoy and Hagen in 1990 [1], and anecdotal observation suggests that awareness of breakthrough pain as a distinct clinical entity remains relatively low [2]. Cancer pain is often variable, with a waxing and waning course throughout a day. For example, variations in activity level may be associated with exacerbations of pain that are somewhat predictable. On the other hand, sudden and significant changes in pain intensity may also occur spontaneously. While these are both examples of breakthrough pain, the strategy for addressing each scenario may be quite different. Breakthrough pain may also have variable pathophysiologic underpinnings, sometimes from a neuropathic process, while at other times from more nociceptive or mixed etiologies. Given the complexity and heterogeneity of breakthrough cancer pain (BtCP) as a distinct clinical entity, a separate chapter dedicated to its assessment and management is appropriate. BtCP can have a dramatic impact on the quality of a patient’s life, as well as key pain-related outcomes, and therefore warrants focused attention and expert management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Thomas W. LeBlanc MD, MA

  2. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Lynn J. Howie MD & Amy P. Abernethy MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Thomas W. LeBlanc MD, MA
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  2. Lynn J. Howie MD
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  3. Amy P. Abernethy MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas W. LeBlanc MD, MA .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA

    David Alberts , Maria Lluria-Prevatt  & Karen Weihs ,  & 

  2. University of Arizona Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Stephanie Kha

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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LeBlanc, T.W., Howie, L.J., Abernethy, A.P. (2016). Breakthrough Cancer Pain. In: Alberts, D., Lluria-Prevatt, M., Kha, S., Weihs, K. (eds) Supportive Cancer Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24814-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24814-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24812-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24814-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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