UI - 000193

AU - Portenoy RK

TI - Optimal pain control in elderly cancer patients

AB - The optimal management of pain in the elderly cancer patient is founded on astute assessment of pain

and other symptoms, development of a pain diagnosis derived from the clinical evaluation, treatment of

underlying causes where possible, and the expert application of analgesic techniques. Analgesic techniques

themselves are multimodal. Pharmacologic approaches are the mainstay, but an individual patient may

benefit from the use of anesthetic, neuroaugmentative, surgical, physiatric, or psychological methods, as

well. Guidelines for the assessment and integrated management of these patients are suggested, with specific

emphasis on the use of pharmacologic therapy AD - Unified Pain Service AD - Albert Einstein College of

Medicine AD - Bronx AD - New York UI - 87192031

SO - Geriatrics 1987;42:33-6, 39-40, 44