VALIDATION OF WORLD-HEALTH-ORGANIZATION GUIDELINES FOR PAIN RELIEF INHEAD AND NECK-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

In a prospective study of 167 patients with head and neck cancer, we a ssessed the causes and mechanisms of pain, as well as the efficacy and side effects of analgesic treatment, along World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The majority of patients had pain caused by cancer ( 83%) and/or treatment (28%), 4% had pain due to debility, and 7% had p ain unrelated to cancer. Palliative antineoplastic treatment was perfo rmed in 32% of patients. Systemic analgesics were administered on 97% of a total of 8,106 treatment days, and coanalgesics or adjuvant drugs on 100%. The treatment proved to be very successful, as severe pain w as experienced only during 5% of the observation period. In the absenc e of serious side effects, the most frequent symptoms observed were in somnia, dysphagia, anorexia, constipation, and nausea. The use of anal gesic and adjuvant drugs along WHO guidelines to treat pain in head an d neck cancer is highly effective and relatively safe.