Breakthrough pain (BTP) is episodic pain that emerges through the treatment of otherwise well-managed chronic background pain. Often called pain flare or transient pain, BTP negatively affects the function and quality of life of the patient and often results in a number of other physical, psychological and social problems. Breakthrough pain is a common occurrence affecting approximately two-thirds of the estimated 50 to 100 million chronic pain sufferers in the US. It can have multiple causes with various pathophysiologies, and can present with numerous clinical features and complications. The clinical features vary from individual to individual, and may vary within an individual over time. The successful management of breakthrough pain depends on proper assessment, treatment, and reassessment. Inadequate assessment can lead to ineffective or inappropriate treatment. Similarly, inadequate reassessment may lead to continuance of ineffective or even harmful treatment. In recent years, the need to educate physicians about pain management has been garnering increased attention from prominent medical associations and the media. Despite ongoing efforts to improve pain treatment, however, the need persists for evidence-based educational materials for physicians in the area of pain diagnosis and management. Part of the Oxford American Pain Library, this highly practical guide covers current approaches and new developments in the assessment and management of Breakthrough Pain, including both cancer-related pain and non-cancer chronic pain. It addresses the roles of opioid and non-opioid pharmacotherapy and presents non-pharmacologic interventions, as well. This concise yet comprehensive reference on Breakthrough Pain is ideal for palliative care doctors, anesthesiologists, pain medicine specialists and oncologists, as well as for primary care physicians and internists on the frontlines of care.

Janet L. Abrahm argues that all causes of suffering experienced by people with cancer, be they physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, should be treated at all stages: at diagnosis, during curative therapy, in the event that cancer recurs, and during the final months. In the second edition of this symptom-oriented guide, she provides primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, internists and oncologists with detailed information and advice for alleviating the stress and pain of patients and family members alike. The new edition includes the latest information on patient and family communication and counseling, on medical, surgical, and complementary and alternative treatments for symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments, and on caring for patients in the last days and their bereaved families. Updated case histories, medication tables, Practice Points, and bibliographies provide clinicians with the information they need to treat their cancer patients effectively and compassionately.

Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.

Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, Ninth Edition, offers a balanced view of the most current knowledge of cancer science and clinical oncology practice. This all-new edition is the consummate reference source for medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, internists, surgical oncologists, and others who treat cancer patients. A translational perspective throughout, integrating cancer biology with cancer management providing an in depth understanding of the disease An emphasis on multidisciplinary, research-driven patient care to improve outcomes and optimal use of all appropriate therapies Cutting-edge coverage of personalized cancer care, including molecular diagnostics and therapeutics Concise, readable, clinically relevant text with algorithms, guidelines and insight into the use of both conventional and novel drugs Includes free access to the Wiley Digital Edition providing search across the book, the full reference list with web links, illustrations and photographs, and post-publication updates

This is the second edition of the widely praised book by Drs Eduardo D. Bruera and Russell K. Portenoy on all aspects of cancer pain.