Provides evidence-based guidance for initiating and managing cancer pain.

This resource provides evidence-based guidance for initiating and managing cancer pain. The information in this resource helps to provide guidance to health care providers (i.e. the end-users of these guidelines: physicians, nurses, pharmacists and caregivers) on the adequate relief of pain associated with cancer. They also assist policy-makers, programme managers and public health personnel to create and facilitate appropriately balanced policies on opioids and prescribing regulations for effective and safe cancer pain management. Proper and effective stewardship of opioid analgesics in the cancer treatment setting is essential to ensure the safety of patients and to reduce the risk of diversion of medicine into society.

The clinical guidelines and recommendations in this resource are organized into three focal areas: (i) analgesia of cancer pain (which addresses the choice of analgesic medicine when initiating pain relief and the choice of opioid for maintenance of pain relief, including optimization of rescue medication, route of administration, and opioid rotation and cessation); (ii) adjuvant medicines for cancer pain (which includes the use of steroids, antidepressants and anticonvulsants as adjuvant medicines); (iii) management of pain related to bone metastases (which incorporates the use of bisphosphonates and radiotherapy to manage bone metastases).