Clinical medicine & research
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Nearly 6,750,000 people suffer moderate to severe cancer-related pain each year. Unfortunately, 10% to 15% of these patients fail to achieve acceptable pain relief with conventional management. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used with increased frequency for successful treatment of intractable cancer pain. ⋯ Case 1 reports a 51-year-old male with burning pain at the left groin site of inguinal metastases, post-surgical and intraoperative radiation therapy for treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Case 2 reports a 43-year-old woman with intractable, burning, throbbing, and shooting pain, post-debulking followed by radiation of a metastatic colon carcinoma. In both cases SCS implantation provided 90% to 100% pain relief, improved functioning and sleep, and discontinuation of pain medications, sustained through 12 months.