Revue médicale de Bruxelles
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Opioid analgesics are widely acknowledged as the most important drugs for the treatment of chronic cancer pain. Although these drugs can in most cases control severe pain, even when they are used appropriately, they may produce new symptoms or exacerbate preexisting symptoms, most notably nausea and somnolence. The combination of severe pain, anorexia, chronic nausea, asthenia, and somnolence is a frequent finding in patient with advanced cancer. ⋯ Many drugs, such as nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, tricyclic antidepressants, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, antiemetics, oral local anesthetics and bisphosphonates have been suggested to have adjuvant analgesic effects. Unfortunately, most of the evidence for the effects of these drugs is anedoctal. Controlled clinical trials are badly needed to precise the indications and the risk/benefit ratios of these agents, some of which have significant toxicity and could potentially aggravate narcotics toxicity.
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The European Union and the European Council are interested in the phenomenon "Homoeopathy". At the initiative of a member of the European Parliament, Mr. Paul LANNOYE, the European Commission created a study group with the aim to answer the question: "Is Homoeopathy researchable?" After 18 month, the group, including conventional pharmacologists and researchers using daily homoeopathy, answered affirmatively to the question. ⋯ About basic research more publications are available and positive results are regular. One third of the publications were published in peer reviewed international journals. Today a sound scientific hypothesis can be drawn up about working mecanisms of homoeopathic dilutions.