Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies

Introduction and purpose: Pain management in cancer patients remains a critical aspect of oncology care, significantly impacting quality of life and treatment outcomes. Despite advancements in cancer therapy, pain continues to be a prevalent and debilitating symptom, affecting up to 80% of patient...

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Main Authors: Wiktoria Tabin-Barczak, Michał Mazur, Dorota Waz, Jakub Szarłowicz, Zofia Goliszek, Karolina Łucja Sobek, Aldona Sokołowska, Klaudia Fikas, Kamil Chwaliszewski, Sebastian Samuła
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń 2025-04-01
Series:Quality in Sport
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Online Access:https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59242
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author Wiktoria Tabin-Barczak
Michał Mazur
Dorota Waz
Jakub Szarłowicz
Zofia Goliszek
Karolina Łucja Sobek
Aldona Sokołowska
Klaudia Fikas
Kamil Chwaliszewski
Sebastian Samuła
author_facet Wiktoria Tabin-Barczak
Michał Mazur
Dorota Waz
Jakub Szarłowicz
Zofia Goliszek
Karolina Łucja Sobek
Aldona Sokołowska
Klaudia Fikas
Kamil Chwaliszewski
Sebastian Samuła
author_sort Wiktoria Tabin-Barczak
collection DOAJ
description Introduction and purpose: Pain management in cancer patients remains a critical aspect of oncology care, significantly impacting quality of life and treatment outcomes. Despite advancements in cancer therapy, pain continues to be a prevalent and debilitating symptom, affecting up to 80% of patients with advanced cancer. This article aims to synthesize the latest evidence on the role of opioids in cancer pain management, focusing on their efficacy, safety, and factors influencing their use. It also explores the potential of multidisciplinary interventions and the contributions of nursing care in optimizing pain management. Materials and methods: A literature review was conducted, encompassing clinical trials, meta-analyses, and guidelines on cancer pain management. The review analyzed the mechanisms of cancer pain, opioid classification, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as well as alternative pain management strategies, including non-opioid therapies and non-pharmacological interventions. Results: Opioids remain the cornerstone of cancer pain management, particularly for moderate to severe pain. However, their use is associated with risks such as constipation, nausea, respiratory depression, and potential immunosuppressive effects. Alternative therapies, including adjuvants and non-pharmacological interventions, play a crucial role in managing pain, especially in patients with neuropathic pain. Multidisciplinary team approaches have shown promise in improving pain control and patient QOL. Conclusion: Effective cancer pain management requires an individualized approach, integrating both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. Further research is needed to optimize opioid use, develop novel therapies, and integrate digital technologies into pain management. Multidisciplinary collaboration and a holistic approach to patient care are essential for improving treatment outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-5adf056ae99446eca0a046ef0d2fcbcc2025-08-20T03:17:28ZengNicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńQuality in Sport2450-31182025-04-014010.12775/QS.2025.40.59242Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative TherapiesWiktoria Tabin-Barczakhttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-8333-8428Michał Mazur0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3840-4325Dorota Waz1https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7484-9231Jakub Szarłowicz2https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8520-9496Zofia Goliszek3https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9881-5754Karolina Łucja Sobek4https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2551-0515Aldona Sokołowska5https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8723-2593Klaudia Fikas6https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1976-2941Kamil Chwaliszewski7https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7239-3122Sebastian Samuła 8https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8915-4263University of Rzeszów al. Tadeusza Rejtana 16C, 35-310 Rzeszów, PolandMedical Center in Łańcut, Poland Ignacego Paderewskiego 5, 37-100 Łańcut, PolandMedical Center in Łańcut, Poland Ignacego Paderewskiego 5, 37-100 Łańcut, PolandMedical Center in Łańcut, Poland Ignacego Paderewskiego 5, 37-100 Łańcut, PolandMedical Center in Łańcut, Poland Ignacego Paderewskiego 5, 37-100 Łańcut, PolandProvincial Clinical Hospital No. 2 named after saint Jadwiga the Queen in Rzeszów, Lwowska 60, 35-301 RzeszówUniversity of Rzeszów al. Tadeusza Rejtana 16C, 35-310 Rzeszów, PolandUniveristy of Rzeszów al. Tadeusza Rejtana 16C, 35-310 Rzeszów, PolandStefan Cardinal Wyszyński Provincial Specialist Hospital SPZOZ in Lublin, Aleja Kraśnicka 100, 20-718 Lublin, PolandIntroduction and purpose: Pain management in cancer patients remains a critical aspect of oncology care, significantly impacting quality of life and treatment outcomes. Despite advancements in cancer therapy, pain continues to be a prevalent and debilitating symptom, affecting up to 80% of patients with advanced cancer. This article aims to synthesize the latest evidence on the role of opioids in cancer pain management, focusing on their efficacy, safety, and factors influencing their use. It also explores the potential of multidisciplinary interventions and the contributions of nursing care in optimizing pain management. Materials and methods: A literature review was conducted, encompassing clinical trials, meta-analyses, and guidelines on cancer pain management. The review analyzed the mechanisms of cancer pain, opioid classification, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as well as alternative pain management strategies, including non-opioid therapies and non-pharmacological interventions. Results: Opioids remain the cornerstone of cancer pain management, particularly for moderate to severe pain. However, their use is associated with risks such as constipation, nausea, respiratory depression, and potential immunosuppressive effects. Alternative therapies, including adjuvants and non-pharmacological interventions, play a crucial role in managing pain, especially in patients with neuropathic pain. Multidisciplinary team approaches have shown promise in improving pain control and patient QOL. Conclusion: Effective cancer pain management requires an individualized approach, integrating both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. Further research is needed to optimize opioid use, develop novel therapies, and integrate digital technologies into pain management. Multidisciplinary collaboration and a holistic approach to patient care are essential for improving treatment outcomes. https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59242cancer painopioidsadjuvant therapiesnon-pharmacological pain manegementquality of lifeopioid pharmacokinetics
spellingShingle Wiktoria Tabin-Barczak
Michał Mazur
Dorota Waz
Jakub Szarłowicz
Zofia Goliszek
Karolina Łucja Sobek
Aldona Sokołowska
Klaudia Fikas
Kamil Chwaliszewski
Sebastian Samuła
Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
Quality in Sport
cancer pain
opioids
adjuvant therapies
non-pharmacological pain manegement
quality of life
opioid pharmacokinetics
title Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
title_full Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
title_fullStr Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
title_full_unstemmed Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
title_short Multidisciplinary Pain Management in Oncology: Balancing Opioid Use and Alternative Therapies
title_sort multidisciplinary pain management in oncology balancing opioid use and alternative therapies
topic cancer pain
opioids
adjuvant therapies
non-pharmacological pain manegement
quality of life
opioid pharmacokinetics
url https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59242
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