Biologic Mechanisms of Oral Cancer Pain and Implications for Clinical Therapy

Cancer pain is an ever-present public health concern. With innovations in treatment, cancer patients are surviving longer, but uncontrollable pain creates a poor quality of life for these patients. Oral cancer is unique in that it causes intense pain at the primary site and significantly impairs spe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dental research 2012-05, Vol.91 (5), p.447-453
Main Authors: Viet, C.T., Schmidt, B.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analgesics
Analgesics, Opioid - pharmacology
Animals
Cancer therapies
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - complications
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - physiopathology
Clinical trials
Dentistry
Drug Tolerance - physiology
Endothelin-1 - physiology
Facial Pain - drug therapy
Facial Pain - etiology
Facial Pain - physiopathology
Head & neck cancer
Health risk assessment
Humans
Mastication
Mouth Neoplasms - complications
Mouth Neoplasms - physiopathology
Narcotics
Nerve Growth Factor - physiology
Nervous system
Nociceptors - physiology
Opioid Peptides - genetics
Opioid Peptides - physiology
Opioid Peptides - therapeutic use
Opioids
Oral cancer
Pain
Pain management
Pain Management - methods
Pain, Intractable - drug therapy
Pain, Intractable - etiology
Pain, Intractable - physiopathology
Palliative Care
Patients
Public health
Quality of Life
Receptors, Proteinase-Activated - physiology
Reviews
Swallowing
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Summary:Cancer pain is an ever-present public health concern. With innovations in treatment, cancer patients are surviving longer, but uncontrollable pain creates a poor quality of life for these patients. Oral cancer is unique in that it causes intense pain at the primary site and significantly impairs speech, swallowing, and masticatory functions. We propose that oral cancer pain has underlying biologic mechanisms that are generated within the cancer microenvironment. A comprehensive understanding of key mediators that control cross-talk between the cancer and peripheral nervous system, and possible interventions, underlies effective cancer pain management. The purpose of this review is to explore the current studies on oral cancer pain and their implications in clinical management for cancer pain in general. Furthermore, we will explore the endogenous opioid systems and novel cancer pain therapeutics that target these systems, which could solve the issue of opiate tolerance and improve quality of life in oral cancer patients.
ISSN:0022-0345
1544-0591
DOI:10.1177/0022034511424156