Myeloma – therapy of pain

The oncologist may improve Health-Related Quality of Life of oncological patients both by causal and symptomatic treatment (typical for basic or concomitant diseases, as side-effects of treatment or general weakness). Patients with myeloma bone disease and other blood cancers occurring also in bones are most vulnerable to severe pain. In bone cancers (primary or secondary location) multiple concurrent types of pain can be noticed and that is why the therapy is complicated and composed of different, separate factors (a different therapy for different pains).The study describes currently recommended methods of causal therapy, such as chemotherapy, chemotherapy connected with marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation, radiotherapy, therapy with applying biphosphonates and surgical treatment of cancers localized in bone, and presents mechanisms and efficiency of analgesia of all of those methods. It also shows relations between symptoms and the way of giving medical attendance to patients. All the rules of pharmacological treatment of cancer pain recommended by the World Health Organization comply with the present-day requirements - subject to the phase of causal treatment. The paper also contains some indications prepared by the Polish Oncological Society directed to oncologists and relating to consultations of pain therapy by Pain Treatment Centers.