A Case of Intrathecal Pump Therapy for Intractable Head and Neck Cancer Pain

Abstract

We present a case of a 34-year-old man who had refractory oral pain secondary to squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and describe his status post multiple surgical procedures. After failing a variety of treatment modalities, an intrathecal pump (ITP) was placed in the lower cervical spine region. He was assessed at several points, initially every 2 weeks, then every 6 months and reported significant and continued pain relief with the ITP past the first 6-month follow-up and no neurological or respiratory side effects were noted. In addition to substantial pain relief, this invasive modality allowed the patient to be a candidate for further chemotherapeutic medications, which induced temporary remission and extended the patient’s life expectancy by over 4 months. Key words: Intrathecal pump, intractable pain, head and neck cancer