PAIN ANALYSIS AND PAIN THERAPY FOR LUNG-C ANCER

In the period from 1983-1991 133 patients (102 men, 31 women) with lun g cancer were treated in our pain clinic for 8083 days. Pain was assoc iated with tumour infiltration in 86 % of patients and related to ther apy in 15 %. Even in 6 of 8 patients who were admitted with a diagnosi s of ,,postthoracotomy syndrome'' and in all 4 patients with ,,postrad iation syndrome'' local recurrence was diagnosed during follow-up. All 17 cases of brachial plexus lesions were caused by local tumour sprea d. Symptomatic treatment according to WHO guidelines resulted in good pain relief in 92 % of patients and on 82 % of days. The incidence of dyspnea decreased from 51 % of the patients to 16 %. Strong opioids we re used on 56 % of treatment days. Parenteral or spinal administration of opioids was necessary on 3 % of days only.