Analgesia issues in palliative care: bone pain, controlled release opioids, managing opioid-induced constipation and nifedipine as an analgesic.

Some recent literature relevant to analgesia in palliative care is reviewed. Reports on clinical use of bisphosphonates for bone pain in cancer, controlled release opioids, selection of laxatives for opioid-induced constipation and the calcium channel blocker nifedipine as an analgesic are described.