Adjuvant pharmacotherapy in cancer pain treatment

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the adjuvant analgesic pharmacotherapeutic treatment, in câncer patients. Methods: The records of 63 patients with malignancy were analysed and they also answered to an interview consisting of the following data: description of pain regarding the location, intensity (the numerical scale from 0 to 10) and relief. Moreover, the analgesics schemes were grouped into compatible and not compatible, based on the analgesic scale (Numeral Rating Scale) World Health Organization - WHO. Results: The findings showed a frequency in patients below 60 years of age, besides the adoption of a polypharmacy and concomitant diseases that corroborate as risks for treatment. About the intensity of pain, the greatest percentages varied from moderate to intense and pain relief was reasonable in most patients. The majority of prescriptions were not compatible, according to the Standards recommended by WHO and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represented the most used. A high percentage of side effects and drug interactions were also observed. Conclusion: Within the context of health promotion, the evaluation of adjuvant analgesic therapy through pharmacy surveillance has great relevance, once that the therapeutic success is better achieved when it enhances the perception of pain referred by the patient. This, allied to appropriate therapeutic management, can avoid the appearance of side effects and drug interactions.