For up to 72 hours following oncologic surgery, a dose of intravenous ketamine from 0.1 to 0.5 milligrams was deemed effective in improving pain amongst patients with cancer. However, in terms of treating the same population’s refractory pain, ketamine was considered less useful, leading researchers to recommend that its potential use depend on factors like dosage, route of administration, and patient population.
“Despite advancements in pharmacological therapies and understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer pain, the prevalence of cancer pain remains high. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses reveal that over one-third of patients experience pain related to cancer after curative treatment, and two-thirds of patients with advanced or metastatic cancer report symptoms of pain. Studies showed up to 20% of patients with cancer undergoing opioid titration develop refractory pain or experience a poor analgesic response and intolerable side effects,” wrote authors of a study published in Healthcare (Basel) . 1 Put It Into Practice
Incorporate these strategies into your pharmacy practice to improve patient outcomes. Present the potential for ketamine treatment as an option for decreasing pain amongst patients with cancer.
Advise patients that while ketamine might be considered for short-term pain management, it is not necessarily the best option for ongoing pain control.
Emphasize the importance of patients discussing any potential use of ketamine with their primary care providers.
Issues surrounding the safe treatment of chronic and acute pain have long persisted within health care, and cancer diagnoses almost always come with a long list of chronic pain complications. In a previous narrative review, researchers stated that somewhere between 40% and 70% of all patients with cancer also experienced chronic pain. 2 However, when it comes to ketamine’s role in treating chronic pain, providers have been slow to adopt this therapeutic option because of its chemical make-up and impact on digestive health, among other reasons.
“Ketamine use, however, is not without issues. Ketamine toxicity is a well-documented phenomenon, and hepatobiliary dysfunction has been reported with recurrent ketamine use,” according to authors of a study published in StatPearls . 3 Furthermore, outside of treating patients with chronic pain, some individuals […]
Ketamine Improved Chronic Pain for Patients with Cancer Following Surgery
