Cancer pain takes many forms — bone metastases, post-surgical nerve pain, visceral abdominal pain, phantom limb pain. Each has a different source and each deserves a targeted approach. A consultation is the right starting point.
Overview
What Is Cancer-Related Pain?
Cancer-related pain is not a single condition — it is a spectrum of pain experiences, each driven by a different underlying mechanism. Bone metastases produce a different type of pain than post-mastectomy nerve injury. Visceral abdominal pain from pancreatic cancer involves different pathways than phantom limb pain after a cancer-related amputation. Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy affects the peripheral nerves differently than spinal cancer pain from vertebral involvement.
Because the source and mechanism vary so significantly from patient to patient, effective cancer pain management begins with identifying exactly what is driving the pain — and then selecting the most appropriate interventional approach for that specific presentation. A consultation with our clinical team is the first step toward that evaluation.
Pain Types We Address
Cancer Pain We Evaluate and Treat
We evaluate and treat a range of cancer-related pain presentations including painful bone metastases, cancer-related vertebral compression fractures, post-mastectomy pain syndrome, phantom limb pain following cancer-related amputation, visceral abdominal pain from pancreatic or abdominal cancer, pelvic cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, post-surgical cancer pain, and palliative pain in patients with advanced disease. The right treatment depends on the specific source — and for many of these presentations, targeted interventional procedures can provide meaningful relief that medications alone cannot.
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Evaluation
How We Evaluate It
We begin with a thorough review of the patient’s oncological history — the type and stage of cancer, current and prior treatments, and the timeline of pain development. We review existing imaging and coordinate closely with the patient’s oncology team. A detailed pain history helps characterize the specific mechanism — whether the pain is nociceptive, neuropathic, visceral, or a combination — so that treatment recommendations are grounded in an accurate understanding of what is driving the pain.
Treatment
How We Treat Cancer-Related Pain
For patients with severe or refractory cancer pain — particularly those requiring high doses of oral medications with inadequate control or significant side effects — intrathecal drug delivery delivers medication directly to the spinal fluid at a fraction of the systemic dose, providing superior pain control with a meaningfully reduced medication burden. For patients with painful bone metastases, bone tumor ablation targets the painful lesion directly at its source — offering relief that is often faster than radiation and does not preclude future radiation if needed. When cancer has caused vertebral compression fractures, balloon kyphoplasty can stabilize the fracture and relieve pain, and may be combined with ablation in the same procedure when both are indicated.
For visceral abdominal cancer pain — including pain from pancreatic cancer and upper abdominal malignancies — celiac plexus blocks interrupt the sympathetic nerve pathways transmitting pain from the abdominal organs. Pelvic cancer pain can be addressed with superior hypogastric plexus blocks or ganglion impar blocks. For chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and other diffuse neuropathic cancer pain, spinal cord stimulation may be evaluated. For focal cancer pain — including post-mastectomy pain syndrome, chest wall pain, and phantom limb pain after cancer-related amputation — peripheral nerve stimulation and peripheral nerve blocks provide targeted options matched to the specific nerve distribution involved. All cancer pain management is coordinated with the patient’s oncology team and tailored to the overall goals of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Interventional pain management can address a wide range of cancer-related pain conditions including bone metastasis pain, spinal cancer pain, post-mastectomy pain syndrome, phantom limb pain following cancer-related amputation, visceral abdominal pain from cancers affecting the pancreas or abdominal organs, pelvic cancer pain, neuropathic pain from chemotherapy or radiation, and post-surgical pain. The appropriate interventional approach depends on the location, character, and underlying mechanism of the pain.
Intrathecal drug delivery — sometimes called a pain pump — delivers medication directly into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord at a fraction of the oral dose required to achieve the same level of pain control. For cancer patients with severe or refractory pain, it can provide superior relief with significantly fewer systemic side effects compared to high-dose oral medications. It is particularly valuable for patients with diffuse or difficult-to-control cancer pain who have not achieved adequate relief through other means.
Bone tumor ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses targeted energy to destroy painful bone tumors or metastatic lesions directly at the site of pain. It is particularly valuable for patients with painful bone metastases who have not responded to radiation, are not candidates for radiation, or who need faster pain relief. It can be performed as a same-day outpatient procedure and may be combined with balloon kyphoplasty when a vertebral fracture is also present.
A celiac plexus block targets the celiac plexus — a network of sympathetic nerves in the upper abdomen that transmit pain signals from abdominal organs including the pancreas, stomach, liver, and small intestine. It is commonly used for pain from pancreatic cancer and other upper abdominal malignancies. By interrupting the sympathetic nerve pathways transmitting visceral pain, a celiac plexus block can provide meaningful relief for patients with severe abdominal cancer pain that has not responded adequately to medications.
Yes. Interventional pain management is not a substitute for cancer treatment — it is a complementary approach that addresses pain while oncology treatment continues. Procedures such as intrathecal drug delivery, sympathetic nerve blocks, and bone tumor ablation can be performed alongside chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Coordination with the patient’s oncology team is an important part of our approach to ensure that pain management integrates safely with the overall treatment plan.
Post-mastectomy pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition that develops in some patients following breast surgery — including mastectomy, lumpectomy, or axillary lymph node dissection. It typically produces burning, aching, or shooting pain in the chest wall, axilla, upper arm, or shoulder that persists beyond the normal healing period. The pain is thought to result from nerve injury or irritation during surgery. Peripheral nerve stimulation and peripheral nerve blocks are among the interventional options that may provide relief for patients with this condition.
Yes. Phantom limb pain — the sensation of pain in a limb that has been amputated — is a recognized and treatable condition. For patients who have undergone amputation as part of cancer treatment, peripheral nerve stimulation targeting the residual nerve stumps can significantly reduce phantom pain. Other interventional options may also be considered depending on the character and distribution of the pain. A consultation is the right starting point to identify the most appropriate approach.
Cancer Pain Deserves Specialized, Targeted Care.
Our team works alongside your oncology team to address the specific source of your pain and improve your quality of life. A consultation is the right starting point.
