Neurologic pain syndromes in patients with cancer.

Recognizing and treating the cause of pain in the patient with cancer should be the initial approach to the management of this common symptom. Careful analysis of patients with cancer and pain has led to the elucidation of common neurologic pain syndromes unique to this disease process. Pain in patients with cancer is commonly the presenting symptom of neurologic involvement. Changes in the pattern of pain or neurologic deficits should be carefully evaluated to rule out the possibility that metastatic disease may be exacerbating existing neuropathic pain. This chronic intractable pain syndrome can markedly debilitate the patient and needs an aggressive approach with drug therapy as the first-line approach.