Management of pain in pancreatic cancer.

Potentially useful modalities of pain control in pancreatic cancer include antitumor therapy, pharmacotherapy, celiac plexus block, splanchnic nerve block, intercostal nerve block, and psychological intervention. These modalities are often used concurrently in treating the multiple dimensions that affect pain. Although thorough assessments are lacking, preliminary data suggest that antitumor chemotherapy and radiotherapy and celiac plexus block are especially useful modalities of pain control in these patients. The optimal time in the disease course for intervention with celiac plexus block is not known. Further studies are needed to clarify the nature of pain syndromes involved and the role of the various therapeutic modalities.